So, we experienced a bit of a frustration with Immigration the beginning of this week when our “approval” was supposed to have been mailed and received by the Nat’l Visa center a week ago, and we realized it had spent days unnecessarily sitting on someone’s desk…..just sitting there…..not going anywhere.
So, after LOTS of phone calls, UPS tracking and emails….we finally located our approval and found out that it was finally delivered to the NVC ….a week after it should have.
All week (while not knowing where the “approval” was) the kids and I were faithfully praying for the “cable.”
It finally happened Tuesday night!!! But, instead of jumping up and down and praising God immediatly…I pouted, yes I pouted. I thought it was unfair (while kicking and screaming) for the UCIS to just hold on to our paperwork for no reason, let it get buried under a pile of papers on some supervisor’s desk and delay us getting to our baby girl! Don’t they realize that this family wants to get to their baby!!!!! Tahlia needs her family! They set us back a week!
Within minutes my Isabella gently chided me,and reminded me.
“mom, we need to be thankful….our paperwork DID make it to NVC, it’s not lost…and GOD answered our prayers!!!!”
Immediately I was shaken out of my complaining and brought to a sense of thankfulness….first for KNOWING and being reminded that God is sovereign. HE is in control, not man or any official gov’t agency. HE will unite us with our daughter when HE ordained it, and nothing can thwart HIS plans. I then thanked God for my sweet Bella, whose faith challenges me at times, she is growing up so fast, and I am so proud of the little woman she is becoming. So thankful for her desire to give God the glory when momma wanted to whine, and show ungratefulness and forget to give God the glory.
God is growing her faith in this journey as she sees His mighty hand at work, gently guiding us to her sweet sister. I love her more than words can say.
With her permission I’d like share her prayer from her journal this morning:
We have complained a lot in parts of this adoption process because it was taking so long. We also complained yesterday because we thought our cable got lost somewhere. But, then we stopped and prayed. Lord, you made it happen and we got cabled last night!!!! Thank you Lord!! Thank you for everything. This devotion, my other devotion, and my verse that I had to look up today were all talking about putting all our faith in God not man and asking God for help. All of our faith is in you, Lord. None of this would be possible without you! I love you GOD!!! AMEN!
What a precious heart! Funny how our children can be used by God to sanctify us too. What a mature prayer!
Beautiful!
The process of adoption can enhance and challenge one's faith, all at the same time. During the last several months, I have experienced true faithfulness and extreme frustration, all in the same hour! LOL. You are so, so close. You'll be right behind us!!!!!
(Also, we have made the incredibly difficult decision NOT to request permission to go to the orphanage, so I unfortunately won't be able to see Tahlia for you. It would be a 5-6 hour car/train ride each way, plus several hundred add'l $$ that we just don't have, and we just have no idea how Gracie is going to be doing. We're already saving our pennies to take the family on a trip back when the kiddos are in high school and middle school! So sorry!)
Beautiful post! We had some trouble with our nvc letter. I think it set us back a week or two. Once we got to China, I realized that Aug 27-Sept 9 was exactly when God wanted us to be there. 🙂 He has your whole trip planned out.