It is all about God’s timing

Well, we’ve hit a little delay.  When we started our home study at the beginning of August, we thought we’d be on the waiting list by the end of the month.  We were delayed in the middle of August by an oversight and thought we’d absolutely be on the the waiting list by now.  But we’re not.  And that is ok.  It is now looking like our home study will not be complete for another month so we probably won’t be on the waiting list until the end of October.  We started this process in April so as it stands right now, it looks like it is going to take us about 7 months to make it to the official waiting list.  Have I mentioned what a process adoption is?  It is not for the faint of heart but man oh man I can’t wait for the blessing that is coming at the end of this road!

 

As I have told you before, God has been teaching us so many things along this journey and I have no doubt that this is just a part of His plan.  All of this in His timing and I have had to learn that sometimes God works through delays.  Before we learned about the length of our delay, we attended our church (Lake Murray Baptist Church) Sunday and heard an incredible message about how God works through tragedy.  With Sunday marking the 10th anniversary of the attacks of 9/11, our pastor focused on how God knew what was going to happen and how he loves us and being fully God and fully man, he knows how we feel when we go through hard times.  He also referenced the death of Lazarus and how God was able to work through a delay in allowing him to die and then raising him up from the dead so that people would see the glory of God and be drawn to Him even though they had to go through a few days of sadness.  I believe that God is sovereign and sometimes he works through delays.  I believe God never leaves us and is working through our tragedies.  I feel like my biggest “tragedy” to date is knowing I will not be able to have children.  God knew that was going to be part of my story of life and yet he still allowed it to happen.  I have been very sad and confused why God chose for this to happen to me.  But I can tell you that over these last few months, He is using all of that to make me rely on Him more and trust in His plan for my life.  Even this delay we have hit this week, I know it is all part of our plan and I ask that you pray that God will continue to provide us with the strength and comfort we will need as we continue this journey. 

 

This week has also been a very reflective week in terms of mine and Scott’s marriage.  Two years ago, Scott and I were in marriage counseling on the verge of the nasty D word I don’t like to say.  Praise God that He performed an absolute miracle in our marriage and that it is stronger now than it has ever been.  He is the God of restoration and the teacher of forgiveness.  I praise God for molding my husband into such a wonderful leader of our home and thank Him for humbling me and teaching me how to be a godly wife.  Even through the stress of this home study (which by the way, the devil has tried his best to try and come between us), I am so proud that we have stood together as a team and not fallen into what the devil’s desires were and stood strong, trusting God, with each day.  I can’t wait to see Scott holding our precious little one….he is going to be such an awesome dad!

 

We are heading to the first home game of the season Saturday so GO COCKS!!!

 

Lauren

Adoption, Foster Parenting and Reconciliation

Most of you know how strongly I feel about adoption.  Others of you may not be as aware of the large burden God has laid on my heart for foster children.  Scott and I are praying for God to show us where he wants us, how he wants to use us and how best He can use us to minister to the world of foster care.  The above link is a podcast from a sermon delivered in August by our pastor, Rob Tims, at Lake Murray Baptist Church.  Rob and his wife, along with their 2 sons, had care of 2 precious little girls through foster care.  Through this experience, he realized that sometimes God is able to do his work through reconciliation and not necessarily through adoption.  Please take the time and listen and pray how God may use you to be His hands and feet when it comes to caring for these precious children.

 

http://www.lakemurraybaptist.org/media.php?pageID=26

Then click on the 3rd sermon titled: Foster Care - A Ministry of Reconciliation

Slacker City!

I can’t believe it has been just over a month since I updated this.  I feared this would happen when I started it but I am going to try and commit to do better.  What’s been going on with us the last month?  Well, we did get back from New York safely after a quick trip, I took a few days of vacay with my mom to the beach, , I sewed a lot of cute things, we had a lovely baby shower with great friends, GAMECOCK football has started (woo, woo!), we had another successful garage sale day, Scott’s cousin Casey came and stayed over Labor Day weekend, I had surgery yesterday and our nursery is actually starting to look like a place where a child may sleep at night

 

As you can tell, we’ve been busy!  I can say that I am actually excited to be waking up to temperatures in the 60s and actually enjoying being outside again!  Fall is always one of my favorite times of year because of college football.  I also get excited thinking that this will probably be our last summer as a “party of 2”.  YAY! 

 

So there really is no big update on our adoption status.  We are still trying to finish up our home study and are hoping to have that done in the next couple of weeks.  I will not lie, this last month has been hard, REALLY hard.  I had no idea how difficult the home study portion would be.  Our agency told us upfront that adoption was hard and that at times we may doubt or become discouraged and I can say I have felt less than stellar these past few weeks (probably why there has not been any posts).  For those of you who are not very familiar with adoptions, the home study is not just about how your house looks or what type of neighborhood you live in.  During the home study, they are actually studying you and learning EVERYTHING about you.  I may have already said this in an earlier blog but I seriously think the only thing they don’t know is probably my shoe size.  We have been asked very personal questions that have required us to be painfully honest and open up to essentially a stranger about very private issues.  I have been very frustrated, very sad, very impatient and just mad at times.  I have found myself asking, “Why do I have to go through this?”  Being able to not have children biologically is hard enough and now I feel like I am being critiqued as to whether or not I will be a good parent.  I continue to look to God and trust Him through all of this.  I keep reminding myself that His timing is perfect.  I am so thankful that God is the author of my life and that he writes perfect stories according to His Will.  I cannot wait to see our story unfold….

 

I am at home today recovering from yesterday’s surgery but once I feel like myself again, I will snap a few pics of the nursery and post a few     Thank you to my wonderful hubby for doing such a great job painting it!

 

I hope your day is a great one and that you are enjoying this beautiful weather as much as I am!

 

Lauren