"On Hold" - a reminder that the Lord is the perfect family planner!

This adoption process been the biggest rollercoaster of faith I have ever been on! I would have never guessed that this would be the track it would take, that this would be the time-line, that these would be the twists and turns. But every time we take an unexpected loop-de-loop, I have to remember that the Lord's ways are not like ours! He is the GREAT PLANNER of my life! He has a perfect plan!

Yesterday was on of those loop-de-loop kind of days! I called our agency to talk about how my pregnancy would effect our adoption process. I was expecting to find out when we would have to do a new homestudy. I was not expecting what they told me!

Turns out, we will have to be put "On Hold" until this baby is 6-12 months old!! I know, it sounds outrageous - believe me it was a shock to me! I was absolutely speechless and crushed when she told me that!

Thankfully, I have an amazing husband who reminded me of the Truth. The Lord has definitely given us this child-in-womb for this exact time for His purpose! And He will give us our child-in-ethiopia at the perfect time as well.

It's times like this, that I am so thankful for scripture's comforting reminders of who the Lord is... I'm holding tight to these reminders this week!!

Jeremiah 29:11 - For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Isaiah 55: 8-9 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

Psalm 25:4 - Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths."

We will contine to move up the lists - but not be able to accept a referral until we pass the hold period. Our social worker will do a report when the baby is 3 months old, and based on that report, our agency will determine when our hold will be over.

As it turns out, the timing of the hold make a lot of sense. It would have been hard, if not impossible to travel to ET twice during my pregnancy (can you even get those shots when you're expecting?). And it would be really hard to do it before the baby is 3-6 months old as well.

So we wait. Again. With Joyful Expectation of what the Lord has up His sleeve!! I can not wait until the day when we only have to look back on this process with awe at what the Lord taught us and the blessings He provided!! Then it truly will be like the story of Jacob and Rachel - of which this blog is named...

Genensis 29:20 "So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her."