Do not fear

After reading over the referral, over and over and over again, googling, pulling out all my medical text books and phoning my friend of a child with special needs, we were ready to move on to the next step. Before we could "officially" accept her, we had to send all of her information to an international adoption doctor and wait for them to respond. This is to give our agency and us more insight into her medical situation and as our SW said, "to see if we are able and willing to accept a child with her needs". We were told it would take 1 -3 days and it was over a weekend so maybe a bit longer. Less than 48 hours later we had our report and could begin the process of bringing Faith home.

We had talked from the beginning of this process that the waiting after referral would be so much harder for us than the waiting before referral. And so I thought I had mentally prepared myself for that truth, but the past few days have still been difficult. As Kevin says, "You are now the mommy." It is so difficult to go through normal daily life feeling like we should be doing something and waiting for decisions to be made that are totally out of our control. So, here we are waiting and learning even more to trust God with our children and their future.

God gave my mom the following passage from Isaiah 41 as a promise for Faith. We know that God has chosen her and not rejected her. He has a purpose for her life to prosper her and not to harm her. He has called her to be His and He is with her when we cannot be. And so Kevin and I will not fear, but instead place our hope and our faith in the God who is able to do exceedingly, abundantly more than we can ask or imagine!

You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth,
And called from its remotest parts
And said to you, 'You are my servant,
I have chosen you and not rejected you.

Do not fear, for I am with you;
Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.
I will strenthen you, surely I will help you,
Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

Behold, all those who are angered at you will be shamed and dishonored;
Those who contend with you will be as nothing and will perish.
You will seek those who quarrel with you, but will not find them,
Those who war with you will be as nothing and non-existent.
For I am the LORD you God, who upholds your right hand,
Who says to you , Do not fear, I will help you.
(Isaiah 41:9-13)

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