Adoption Certainly Requires Flexibility ...and Prayer

For those of you that know me well, I'm a planner. I think strategically, I'm visionary, and I plan. That's what I do. I plan out several alternatives, actions, and usually land on the best overall strategic plan. So entering into the world of adoption has had a major impact on me.... and my desire to not only plan, but my need to control my circumstances. Let's face it... in the process of adoption, we as PAPs can only control very little of this process. So I'm learning each day how to be more flexible, how to adapt to changing circumstances, and along the way, picking up a little "free-spirit" in my personality. :)

We heard from our agency yesterday..... interesting turn of events has occurred. Apparently, there was a change in Judges at the court location where our case is scheduled. The new Judge ....is actually a Judge that previously served in this court....here is the interesting part. He typically has not made families appear in court!.... Yes, I said that correctly, in the past...for adoptions, he didn't require families to appear. So now we don't know IF we will have to make 2 trips. Lauren's case is scheduled on April 12th (which is next Thursday).... our agency rep will be in-country at that time and so we will know soon thereafter if we have to appear or not. I'm torn, because I was all set to travel for those 3 short days, just to be able to see our Little Miss.... BUT now, if we don't have to go to court, the timing is such that we will be able to likely go pick her up a little sooner than the 60 day wait period (given, there wouldn't be a 60 day wait period if we don't travel for court). Make sense?? So in the end, I'm praying that the Judge approves the case on the 12th, and the paperwork gets processed soon, so we'd be able to go pick her up as soon as possible. This would also help Brad's work situation with the new system, and would also save us the traveling costs since we'd just have the one trip.

Either way, I can't wait to hear something on the 13th .... this unknown is growing me in ways you can't imagine... :)

On another note - on prayer, in this uncertainty, Brad and I were talking recently.... and I was like, "should we book flights anyway for this certain week... because it seems like that's when it will be??"... and Brad says, "no, we wait patiently, you never know, we might not have to go to court... I've just been praying this all works out"... and my inner thought was, "are you kidding me, we've already been told we will have to go to court, just get used to the idea we will have this extra expense and you will need to leave work a few days".... of course, I didn't voice this thought... but I was like, "he's nuts".... so now, a bit of "egg on my face", what lack of faith I have. The power of prayer is certainly essential; I find myself praying for simple things... I think I limit God is ways... praying for "good timing", "obedience", "safety and health", "patience, etc... but to pray that perhaps something would happen and we wouldn't have to go to court isn't even in my thinking to pray...since we were told we would need to do the two trips. So .... now... would all of you please pray that we don't have to go to court and our paperwork flies through the process, we get travel approval soon.... and we bring our daughter home real soon! Our God is just THAT big.

p.s. - either way, though I'm fine because I feel like I'll be seeing my little one very soon. :)