The journey continues

February 2013. We have been on our adoption journey for over three years now. And we are still a family of two. Since the advent of 2013, we have moved in another new direction, placed a new "line in the water", to use a fishing analogy. We still have an "active file" with Covenant Care Services, our original agency in Macon, and we've completed requirements for two of the adoption programs with Lutheran Services of Georgia; now we are working on requirements for a third program: foster-to-adopt.

After a veritable merry-go-round of caseworkers at LSG, we are now working with Nancy. She has been wonderful to work with so far (none of our other 4 caseworkers were bad, really), and she is helping us go down the checklist of things to buy and classes to take and trainings to receive so we might be acceptable as "foster parents" to the state DFCS division. Our prayer is still that we would (1) prepare for parenthood as God would have us do and (2) know our children when we see them.

Be my help, Lord. Help me put aside the aggravation and resentment I feel about having to jump through SOOO many hoops: signing forms that are almost exactly the same as forms we signed last year and the year before, taking more classes, reading more requirements, answering more questions, complying with additional safety checklists... Help me to appreciate how the agencies are striving to protect the children in the foster care and keep them from being hurt AGAIN by a family, when they have already been hurt in their experience with their family of origin. Help me LEARN from the classes & training session & books & articles & conversations I encounter. Help me pray for my children, even though I know almost nothing about them. Let me be satisfied in knowing that YOU know my children: You know where they live, who they love, what they need, who they can be in You... You know what it will take for me to be their Mama. You will protect them, You will bring us together in your time. My journey is hard, but if you see fit to bring children into our family by bringing them out of foster care, their journey is certainly harder.

Thank You, Lord, for friends & family who continue to pray for us. Thank You that we are not alone. Thank You that we have been able to meet the requirements so far. Thank You for providing the resources we have needed. Thank You for knowing my heart and understanding my pain and fortifying my hope. Thank You for being faithful. Thank You for this journey, even though it is hard. Thank You for being OUR FATHER.