Happy Anniversary, Adoption

Today marks our 1 year anniversary of the “official” wait for our child (2 years of waiting overall).  February 2, 2014 we received word that all our hard work with paperwork and appointments had paid off and our file was registered in Bulgaria.  I thought then that we would be starting the most excruciating wait of our lives……but God proved otherwise.  We have been so tremendously blessed this past year that I wouldn’t have sped it along or wished it away for anything.

• The adoption friends that I have made will remain a part of my family forever.

 

•  I have learned to love without abandon in a very hard adoption situation, risking it all, and feeling the pain of rejection, but the peace that comes when you’ve left it all on the table.

 

• I’ve seen my community rally together to help put a roof on an orphanage in Bulgaria–halfway around the world from our little town, and never felt more supported in anything.

• I’ve watched my daughter feel called to advocate for the orphan and help meet their needs.

• I’ve laid in my son’s room, and listened to him lovingly voice his concern that his brother or sister wasn’t being read a bedtime story like him.

 

• I’ve experienced my church rallying together on Orphan Sunday to present all the many ways to care for the orphan.

• I’ve giggled as my “baby,” when asked to count, has chosen to do so in Bulgarian, “edno, dve, tri…”

 

• We hosted a sweet orphan-girl from India in our home for 2 days, an opportunity we may have somehow passed up before God opened our eyes and put a passion in our heart for the least of these.

• I’ve been blessed to share life with the McArthy family, also waiting to bring home their Bulgarian baby.  Our children have become such good friends, and we have already begun our own Bulgarian traditions that we can’t wait to carry over in life post-adoption.

• I’ve experience exciting, jaw-dropping phone calls of friends who just received their call, and been able to rejoice with them.

 

• I’ve spent hours dreaming with Andy about planning trips to Bulgaria, and what our life might look like when the dust settles.

I certainly do not want our child to have to wait any longer than necessary.  I would love to have them home with us tomorrow if it was possible, but typical adoption isn’t like that.  However, that doesn’t mean the wait is in vain.  There is great purpose in the wait– a preparation we don’t yet understand.  I hope to not have to “celebrate” many anniversaries before we come home with our child, but today I am grateful to be one year closer to growing our family and our hearts.