[lifessence]

Today my DH and I realized that if we had gotten out of PGN like we had hoped three weeks ago we would have never found or decided to adopt Abigail.

God knew she was going to be put up for adoption - we had no clue!

God knew she was going to be ours - we were not even talking about adopting again for six more months.

God knew our hearts and was ready to hand deliver the daughter we have been praying to be brought to us.

God knew we needed to get things done for our dossier = so we can not pick up the boys until it is done. We will be finished before my DH leaves this week for a visit trip.

This whole time while we were watching for emails, checking the forum day and night - we were wasting our time because He had bigger plans for our lives and family.

So you see everyone waiting on God's timing may not be easy at the time or make much sense. However, what He has planned is always better than what we do for ourselves. If we are still and listen to His leading we will always find the blessings.

I am in awe once again of how BIG the God we serve really is. I am grateful for His timing and not our own. I am grateful for His plan and not trying to control every aspect of our lives. I am thankful that He loves us so much that He is willing to trust us with another child.

We will soon be the proud parents of two beautiful bio daughters (now 12 & 4 yrs old) and two beautiful heartgrown Guatemala Princes (2.5 yrs old & 9 months) and one absolutely beautiful heartgrown Guatemalan Princess (4.5 yrs old). We are truly blessed beyond what we deserve. I thank our sweet Jesus for all that He endured for our lives.

Be thankful today knowing God is working it all out for the good plans He has made for your lives.

Thanks for letting me share my heart with those who understand! A funny story to finish this out - a friend from church always wants updates - so this week we sent out a letter introducing our daughter to friends and family. He wrote back to us and said - they better bring your children home quick or you will end up bringing every child home from their country! Now we will leave that part up to God!

[lmitchem]

I always look forward to your post! They always say something to my heart that I need to hear. We've prayed this whole time for Gods will and timing but I'm so bad to take it back by worrying and obsessing so much. Thanks again for your wonderful words!

Hugs,
Lisa

[DeeVee]

Thanks so much -- I needed to hear this today.

[lifessence]

You are welcome - I'm humbled that what I am feeling at my core and deep in my heart is touching others! It was truly a beautiful moment for my DH and me. We sat there and just smiled at each other knowing He had it figured out the whole time we were worrying over is today, this week, this month going to be when we bring our boys home? Ha Ha Ha! We love God's sense of humor.

Life is very interesting when you let Him truly take the wheel. After a very busy week and our youngest taking a nap - I decided to lay on our family room floor with head phones on taped into Cee Cee Wynan singing His praises. My heart is full tonight knowing Our God loves me so much that He let me once again learn how important it is to trust in Him for all things - ALL OF THE TIME!

Have a blessed night and a sweet tomorrow knowing the King of Kings is watching, listening and taking care of all of your hearts desires...make sure you let Him know you love Him for that! He deserves all of our praises! Can't even imagine having His job 24/7 365 worrying about all of us and getting angels ahead of our every step!!!!

Hugs to everyone who is still praying with me!! I appreciate your prayers and they are being heard. Watch the wonder of His power again this month! Glory be to God! Amen!

[domkgm]

Thanks for sharing that. It was just what I needed!

[lifessence]

Don't you love how God will find a way to speak to us on exactly what we need, when we need it?

Or when we met a person who brings up something there is NO way they know you are going through or thinking about!

I just love God's timing in our lives and all the divine appointments He makes for us along the way.

My word for this month is "content". Being content with what we have and right where we are....knowing it is perfect. Ahhh - that takes practice and finding strength in Him.

[clazarc]

That is so wonderful. Congrats. It always amazes me what Gods plans are for us. I never thought I would have a beautiful baby girl in her room and now I have two sons and a daughter

Christine

[lcarroll]

We have experienced this too:
My brother in law and his wife were unable to have children. Because of finances, they opted to proceed with private adoption in the U.S.. They found a birth mom quickly, but there were multiple problems. There was a drug problem, both bio. parents had psychiatric histories, bio. mom had seizure disorder, etc. My brother in law & his wife were still willing to persue this baby, but then had an agency "steal the mom" away.(read this as demand more money...) Well, three days later, a friend called me to say that she had a niece who was giving her six month old up for adoption.
Three days after that, this new bio. mom signed the papers relinquishing the baby. My brother in law and his wife went to the town to meet with the mom and meet the baby that night. (They were not planning on picking up the baby until about a week later.) When they got to the house, The bio. mother insisted that they take the baby. She also gave them a huge big box of supplies to come home with.
I had never seen anything that quick in the realm of adoption. We are sure that this was a miracle.

I truely believe in the power of prayer. I have seen it. The hard part is realizing that sometimes the answer to our prayers is "wait".

[Disneycrazed]

Thank you for posting this. I really needed it!!! Not only for the adoption process but for other things going on in my life right now. It is so true and I NEED to remember and trust in GOD that he has a plan for me. Thanks again!!!

[SchnauzerMom]

Lifessence:

I can identify with your post so much. We had a similar experience just this week

We have tried to have children for nearly 5 years. In January we began paperchasing for China. In May, we found China could be a 2 year wait for referral based on some rumors and projections, so we switched to Guatemala with the financial assistance of my parents.

Since we had already prepared a nursery and bought for a girl, we requested a girl from Guatemala when we began paperchasing in May. We were very close up on the list for a referral this week, when we learned that 95% of the people waiting for referrals want girls and all or most of the birthmothers would be having boys. As a childless couple wanting a girl, our agency cautioned we could have a long wait for a girl, even though we were so far up on the list by dossier date.

We were very discouraged and wondered why this kept happening to us. Whether trying to conceive or adopting, it seemed like we would never have a child. Then, we started talking about how we always intended to adopt a boy in about 2 years. Within an hour, we had decided to change to open gender--likely meaning a boy would be our first referral--and paperchase for a girl immediately.

Our babies will likely be about 6 months apart in age. We will be stressed financially with the added adoption. We will also be stressed physically and emotionally as first-time parents to two babies, but we are so excited and confident in our decision. We always wondered why we kept having these difficulties, but now it is so clear. God meant for us to adopt a boy and a girl together to begin our family.

We are expecting the referral of a beautiful boy any day now and couldn't be happier. We are looking forward with love and joy at having both our son and our daughter home with us sometime next year!

[redru2004]

It's funny, my mom and I were on the phone the other night talking about Lucas of course and she said to me "I don't know how you do it kiddo, but I'm sure glad you are" referring to the wait and the unknown time line. I said to her that I do it because I don't have a choice, that this journey, this adoption is so much bigger than me. I'm a huge believer that everything happens for a reason and that God has his plan set for each of us, it's up to us to take the leap of faith and allow him to show us the way. I try to remind myself of that when I'm sad because I'm missing my son, or frustrated with my agency, or just simply down in the dumps because I can't hold my son and kiss his toes and cheeks. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but deep in my heart I know God will bring Lucas home when the time is right for all of us involved.

[TyAva]

What a wonderful encourageing post!!! And an important reminder to trust in God's timing as it is perfect! Thanks!

[lifessence]

So true everyone!

Please keep praying with me to for the process, our children, their Fmom's, their Bmom's and all those involved with our cases. God is working miracles that we just can't see. Love knowing that!

Have a blessed day!

[lifessence]

Ok, tonight is our Home Study Update meeting! We should be done with the dossier by the end of next week. How amazing to put it all together by the grace of God in two weeks. Guess, something exciting is about to happen and He wants to be sure all things are in place.

Thanks for sharing how wonderful His timing is with me!

[Ethan2luv]

No accident that you are reading my heart, because that is how the Lord works, when sisters get together with one voice and one heart; especially involving our children.

You are exactly right that it is the Lord's timing in all things concerning his children; he knew all along that you would be bringing home three beautiful children, but the one ingredient that he requires is our obedience. If you had not stepped out on faith all those months ago to start the adoption of your boys; you would not be here waiting on them to get out of PGN; much less be waiting on a third child. You see he knew that he could trust you; you had answered the call, you stepped out where you could see no light, right into the storm of Family Court, DNA, Preapproval and PGN, and you have kept stepping, you have remained faithful and true and you have kept your focus on the Lord Jesus; you have not only seen him coming to you on the water, but you have shared your love for him with all those that would listen; you are a true disciple of Christ.

When the time came for the Lord to find a mother for Abigail and when the timing was right, he chose you; not because you are perfect, not because you don't get scared, you are out on that water and the waves are getting higher and higher and you look around and you don't see land anywhere in sight; you look to your buddies that you left behind in the boat, and no one is trying to follow you, much less, throw you a life jacket. So you do what any child does when they are scared and the storm is raging, you cry out to your Father, and in no time at all; when he knows that those waves may have frightened you; and you could have turned around, you could have given up, you could have gone back into the safety of the boat; but ahhhh, your Father knew that you would do none of these things; you cry, he comes, you reach for him, he takes your hand, and the storm is stilled, your heart flows with love.................he shows you a place that is a faraway land, and they speak a different language; you do not know anyone, he shows you the persecution you will endure, the tears you will cry, and the frustration you will feel, you can feel the scars on his hand and it reminds you of the price that was paid for your freedom, for your salvation; and you remember the storm that he has just pulled you through and you say, "Not my will, but yours, I will do this thing, I will go to this place and I will do all that you say." You take this assignment in faith and trust, because of the one that is holding your hand; because of his promise to never leave you or forsake you................then he pulls back the curtain of time and shows you two little dark-haired boys; "These are your reward, and I am entrusting them to you but a time, for you to raise up and they will bring you much joy; teach them of me, and I will remain and abide in you, to help guide you...."

So you step out in faith and start the proceedings for all of the papercase and you even travel to this foreign land twice to visit your babies, so you can count their fingers and toes yourself; and Jesus just smiles at you..........he has a almost secret to is smile, because he knows what you don't know. He knows that because of your demonstration of your faith to him, he has something more; yes, with Jesus there is always more, he wishes to bless you abundantly more then you could ever wish for; he smiles because he knows that he will be sending you a little girl; and I am sure if you look you will see Jesus when she smiles at you...........

You are blessed dear one, you are blessed, you tell my girl CeeCee that you were listening to the other night; you tell her, that there was something else in that alabaster box, and that something else was Jesus gift back to all of us; it was full of his mercy and grace, without which, none of us would be here today stepping out onto that water, no land in sight..............