my heart prepares for Abby

Right now, every day seems like a week.  At one point last week I was frustrated that we had been waiting for seemingly a month for our next expected paperwork, and then I looked at the calendar and discovered it had only been a little over a week that we had been waiting.  Ah, my heart is starting to ache for her.  Every day feels so long without her.  Often now, when all my kids are in the same room with me, I sense a very strong feeling that someone is missing.....that she is missing.  It's weird, but it's real.  The realness of her in my mind and in my heart and in our family is no doubt magnified because of our other two adoptions.  I know this is the real deal.  As the days go by, the anxiousness for her in my heart seems to increase exponentially.  The paperwork part seems less and less significant, and the realness that my daughter, my beautiful God-given daughter, is coming home seems more and more profound and tangible.  God is preparing me...I feel it.  He is so good.  She will be birthed into our family at just the right time...and I feel those labor pains about to begin........

Thankfully, things are moving. Today, we did hear that our I800 Provisional Approval is in the mail, on the way to us from Immigration.  When it arrives we will be one step closer. 

And in the meantime, I have found myself often wondering how in the world I can continue with the normal routines of life.   Frankly, I would rather curl up in the fetal position on the couch and just wait till she walks through my front door.  Then, my baby will be home with her momma, out of that stinkin cold orphanage (ick!), and all will be right with the world.  .....And yet, that doesn't quite seem doable.  ;)  And so, I am trying to continue with some sort of normalcy (for as long as I possibly can.).

God has been so good giving me glimpses of His work in our home, despite my own feelings of worthlessness since all I want to do is think about Abby.

 Who knew linking verbs could be so fun?  I have to say, doing school with this kid is an absolute blast!  He makes everything fun!  And amazingly, he seems to be learning.  Today I thanked God for the joy He has continued to give me through schoolwork with my kids.  Laughing our heads off about linking verbs is definitely a better option than being curled up on my couch just sitting waiting waiting waiting for Abby.  God is soooo good.

This week, my baby girl started reading.  Ahhhhh!!!!  What a timely gift the Lord gave us.  HE taught her to read!!!!  Oh, I praise you Jesus!!!!!

Our focus this year as a family is the 10/40 window.  The 10/40 window is a missions term used to indicate the area in our world where the far majority of unreached for Jesus people live.  It is estimated that 78% of the people groups that still have yet to hear about Jesus live in this area of our world.  And so, as we talk about these people and these parts of our world, I am deeply humbled.  And suddenly, it's not all about me anymore.  Actually, it's not about me at all.  But instead, all about Him.  

And so, the wait for Abby continues....and is getting harder....but God continues to be so faithful.  And he continues to be so present with us through each day.  I don't want to waste these days.  To Him be the glory!

It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere. 

Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him.

Deuteronomy 13:4