Monday, July 20, 2015

Waiting...

Adoption is Full of waiting! Waiting for funding resources, waiting for your home study to be complete, then the waiting to present to 'situations' and waiting to hear if your yes to a situation is a yes or a no back. Of course often after the yes there is more waiting; for the baby to be born, for the birth parents to sign consent papers and last waiting for icpc (the different states involved approving the movement of a child from one state to another for adoption) so you can take your baby home! We have not truly been waiting very long. Our home study went very fast and smooth, then we had some time where things were on hold while we waited for Dave to find a new job. So we have only been officially waiting to be matched with an expectant mom and baby for around a month. Yet I find myself constantly checking my email seeing if there is something possibly about our baby! The first time we were waiting in the adoption journey, we were waiting for our first child. This was hard and draining and we waited over a year and a half to be matched. We had already been waiting close to three years before that for a baby. We also heard many nos saying the birth mom had chosen a different family.
    The reason I am writing this is because since our first journey we have learned and grown so much in our understanding of God's heart for adoption and will for our family. We also have two precious daily reminders running around our house that are living proof, His timing and way of bringing children into our family is So much better than ours. If we had made the plan I'm sure the first baby we heard about we'd have chosen to be our baby. But that would mean Ella wouldn't be singing at my feet and playing with her toys as I write this. Knowing what I know now, I'd go through that wait all over again. It wasn't easy, I would never wish it on anyone but Ella was worth it. She is a gift to our family and such a blessing to many around her.
   Dave and I feel strongly that we are all called to care for the widow and the orphan (James 1:27) which does not mean we are all called to adopt just that we are all called to help the fatherless. We personally feel called to adopt. So this journey we are on is so much more than a desire for another baby in our arms. There could be some brave expectant moms making a selfless decision who need us to walk along side them in prayer support. When we do say yes to a situation it may mean that the baby is not ours but the mom and baby need our prayers and needed to hear our yes to confirm her baby is loved and wanted. Sometimes expectant moms don't have more than one or even one family  to chose from for her baby for various reasons including pregnancy issues, special needs, and race to name a few.  So maybe these brave women just needed our yes and prayers which could mean we'll hear a no  or many nos before our yes. This doesn't mean it's easy to hear no but it isn't just about us. There is a bigger picture that we can not see, but our Heavenly Father sees it. Sometimes  it feels like we are on an emotional roller coaster in this journey. I have blabbed on simply trying to say it can be hard, we can be impatient, but when we hold our baby in our arms it will be so clear that it was all His plan even when we don't see the whole picture.  The whole picture involves so many precious lives that we may never know about. We haven't heard nos yet but we may. I'm writing this also as a reminder for myself when I'm impatient and discouraged, God has our family in His hands and He knows the baby that is our son or daughter.

"Wait on the Lord; be of good courage. And He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!" Psalm 27:14.

Today I needed to be reminded to wait on the Lord because His plan is better. Adoption has already greatly blessed our lives but it is not just about me. It is about so so much more. It is about His love for everyone of us and His redemption which adoption is a true picture of.

I'll finish with this popular verse but that is one I believe helped through the waiting during our first adoption journey and I will cling to again.

"For I know the plans I have for you'" says the Lord , "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

His ways, His timing to bring the third baby Lemaster to us will be amazing!!!!!

PS this time around we are starting with Christian Adoption Consultants right away. So we hope not to wait as long as the first time. Their average wait time is between 6-10 months. We were matched with Ella the week after we signed on with them. Which was crazy fast!! If you'd like to know more about adoption please contact me at amyrenee.lemaster@gmail.com