What is your number? I question I hear on a regular basis and if in truth someone asked me for my number( meaning my phone number) I would most likely assume (like a fellow adoptive mom) they would mean our waitlist number.
Our waitlist number kinda sets the time frame for the process of this adoption.
On January 19, 2010 we were placed on the waitlist with our agency for #97 for a girl 0-2.
As of this day October 15, 2012 we are #19. Finally in the teens!
What has occured to me is that if you are not an official stalker of the waitlist, you may not understand exactly how it works. Basically there are 19 families in front of us. However, these families may be on a sibling list or boys list as well. So a boy referral may in fact result in movement on the girls list depending on the families parameters.
Something that I have often explained in an effort to communicate the waitlist process is that once we are at #1 we will receive a referral.
I no longer think that is how its going to go down.
To put in perspective, last week the family that received their referral was #10 on the waitlist for a girl 0-2.
I think its time we start anticipating a "call".
As we wait we are trusting God and His perfect timing for a "call" about a little girl across the world, that we pray will take us as her family.
.....besides the fact they have completely consumed the Belt home January and February 2012
Today I awakened to a yucky sad feeling. Nothing unusual and something I have experienced most mornings since January 4th. But today was for a different reason. We lost. The Falcon boys basketball lost their chance to win the Gold Ball. What in the world !- how can this possibly compare to the loss of my mother. How could the two even remotely be viewed as similar. So I wrestled most of the morning with this wretched desire to throw in the towel and chalk all of life up as a loss ( a little dramatic I'm sure).
Then God began to show me something ....... As I cleaned the kitchen I finished listening to a sermon entitled "Pivotal Circumstances" by Andy Stanley which I recommend you go here Five Things to Grow your Faith and download for $1. I had listened to half of it on the way to the basketball game last night.
So what does losing one of the most important people in my life have to do
With Basketball?
I have watched my husband pour his life into these boys......practicing with them every Sunday night for 3 years . Talking about them non-stop. With a dream of them getting the ultimate reward of the gold ball and winning the state Championship. They were supposed to win....they were the best in the State of Oklahoma....
My husband has watched me pour my life into my mom for 4 years. With a dream her health would be restored. She wasn't supposed to die. Her cancer was stable......
Dreams over , gone. What we hoped for are not even possible anymore. God did not show up and answer our prayers.... But this is where He showed me something very profound .
When my mom past away we buried her with one of these bracelets. One of our adoption bracelets that say "praying for Addi May". A gesture of including our daughter who will never know my mom .
When the state tournament started I saw my husband wearing one of these for the first time. I thought that was really special how he must have wanted her to be a part of this "win" since she is not with us yet. But he didn't win.
And this is where I realize this bracelet represents so much more to us. It represents our belief and hope. We have fallen in love with an Ethiopian baby we have never even seen. This bracelet represents our hope for Him to redeem a life story of a baby girl on the other side of the world and not leave her as an orphan.
Even in our hurt and loss we trust Him anyway. Our belief is in a God who is bigger than this sin ravished world that takes our dreams. This bracelet represents, more importantly, our believe in our own redemption through our adoption as sons and daughters of a Living God.
I want to see Him even in our losses. Disappointment and gut wrenching hurt is sure to come, maybe through death. Maybe in a basketball game. I want to say "I believe" even when my circumstances try to convince me I have nothing to hang my belief on.
Today I am going to put on my bracelet , enjoy the sunshine and do some singing along with Crowder
I figure one day when the wait is over and Addi May is home, people will actually be interested in what I have to say. So I figure I better start blogging now so I can work through all the kinks and get a little more comfortable with the online publishing.
Reading Adoption Blogs is one of my most favorite pastimes. This Blog is amazing and this is her amazing giveaway!
Check it out!
These women on these adoption blogs are who I aspire to be like. Incidentally, they are very Christlike. They display the heart of Christ in everything they do.
Okay I finally am launching the sale of my license plates that have been ready for months. They are two images on one plate , what you see depends on the angle you are looking at it.
This is the plate on my car from different angles changing between ONE LESS to Africa with a heart over Ethiopia. Mine is pink but if you want one for a boy then I will change it to red. They are $25 and you can purchase through the Donate button on the side.
Micah got in trouble tonight. He is having one of those days like when you know your 2 year old needs a nap because of their irrational response to things. But it was 6:30 and he's not 2 he's 7 so I made him lay down on my bed. After crying a little he shouts out, " mom what # are we?" I cracked up at the timing . It was like somehow if our number had changed it would bring him comfort. Of course we hadn't moved up so when I told him his response was "STILL?????"--------the next 9 months should be interesting. The boys have just started paying attention to our number on the waitlist. I love it!
Here we are the last day of August and we are officially #59 on the waitlist for a girl 0-24 months old from Ethiopia and we are super excited about it. We know we have many people who have been praying for our journey already. At this stage in the process I feel like its time to announce our "pregnancy" so to speak. Based on the time frame to this point it will be about 9 months from now until we see our daughter's face for the first time. If not yet then very soon she will begin her life story and her journey to be part of our family. Please pray from the very beginning of her little life she knows she is loved! We can't wait to see what God has in store for our family!
