The Waiting "Game"

One of our all-time favorite games to play is Settlers of Catan. In fact, we don't get to play it enough! One of our least favorite games is Waiting!

Although the "waiting game" is not our favorite, it brings more fulfillment than any board game we could ever play. Actually, waiting is not a game at all. Waiting is the patient endurance of confident expectancy and trust - for us, trust in God. I've heard it said that 3/5 of faith is in wait, and that is so true. Times of waiting and hoping in God is when faith can flourish.

Most adoption cases involve times of waiting, whether they be minimal or extended. Our 1st adoption journey began two years ago. This current adoption journey began eight months ago when the 1st journey concluded. Waiting . . . waiting . . . waiting . . . and more waiting is an adoption norm. The stage we are in now is nothing but waiting - no paperwork, no mandatory meetings, no nothing (except for continuing fundraising, baby room decorating, and praying). There's nothing to do that can speed up the process - it's all in God's hands and His timing. God already knows the end of the story, so we know it will be a good ending! Sometimes people think that God is late. He's never late . . . He's right on time, even if the time our prayers are answered is not OUR time. This is much easier said than done, but it's true. This trust in Him gives us peace, confidence, and encouragement in times of waiting. Other instances in our lives have given testimony to this truth.

Although waiting is tough, one of the blessings of this adoption process is that we don't know anything and can't do anything. This makes US get out of the way and depend completely on God - there's nothing else to do but depend on Him. That's where God wants all of us to be all the time in everything. Our case worker may know for a birth mom's entire pregnancy that we are the couple chosen for an adoption plan, but is not able to tell us until the 10-ten revocation period is over. That means that we could get a call one day and then go to Macon for a placement two days later. Since there's no way of knowing the date of our placement, because God alone is all-knowing, we just have to keep our faith in the wait.