The meeting happened

From 5:00 until 7:00 we had our family meeting with the social worker. (If you don't know what I am taling about, see yesterday's post.)The kids were so excited. Brandon suggested that we bake cookies and offer Mr. L cookies "because maybe that will help us be able to adopt Matt."

The house was unbelieveably uncharacteristically clean. With Mr. L needing to cancel repeatedly, the house kept getting cleaner and cleaner, with, in the end all the closets and garage, as well as laundry room and our library room getting clean.

The spirit and energy in the air was exciting, warm and loving. Mr. L had decaffeinated coffee with half and half, but skipped the cookies. (I hear real estate kings and queens bake cookies to give the house just the right smell.)

None of the questions that Mr. L seemed very hard although several were pointed. BTW, my husband has not always been a Christian. I became a Christian six months after I was married (Christ's "perfect" timing of my birth) but my husband never started going to church until three years ago. I think, in part, because of his pride in having finally "succumbed" to my view (reality) of the world, he doesn't talk much at all about being a Christian. However, the fruit hangs from the tree, and tonight it was so wonderful to see Christ in my husband and his acknowledging of Christ. This adoption idea of the Lord's, is really the ministry that God has enabled my husband and I to do together, and it is a bit of a thrill ride.

Since Monday night at my Bible Study I realized something that I faintly recognized months ago when this adoption process began. Months ago I was feeling down one day until I was moved by a verse and wrote it down on a little piece of paper. Something about "your joy will be complete." I was strengthened about the verse and figured the verse had to do with heaven, etc. Then a few days later the whole notion about the adoption sprang into place when the Lord revealed to me that we would be helping an orphan child to go to my older children's boarding school in Oneida, Kentucky. And I was filled with a joy and a thrill. And I thought of the verse about the joy and I read the verse again and again and my spirit seemed to soar with Christ's and it was great.

When the social worker came over in July for our first meeting, I felt such a let-down, because he went on and on about everything that could go wrong. Then he handed me a bunch of paperwork that seemed overwhelming that involved all sorts of things that we needed to do. And my heart sank. Since then, anticipation has been building but has been tempered by the so called reality of all the things that can go wrong and the many things that probably will go wrong. Meanwhile, everyone else seemed excited and sustained.

So Monday three days ago at BSF Bible Study during our "fellowship" hour, a simple, straight-forward woman who wears sports jerseys - (Monday it was North Carolina - what sport I couldn't tell you, but it was a blue and white outfit) asked a series of questions and I told her our adoptions plan and including information about the problems we would likely face. I think that God used her to encourage me in the Lord and in this process.

She said, "You may be surprised that it won't take that long for him to bond with you because kids can tell if you really care and I can tell that you do, and he'll see and know that also." Yes, I think you are right, I said to myself. I thought about the fact that God is giving us this child as a gift. Not a lifetime homework assignment chore. He is a gift to us from God that will bring me joy because God is wanting to bless our family with him. Then she said, "wouldn't it be great if it could happen by Christmas?" Isn't it great how God speaks though people? Do you think God was speaking through her?

The grim of rain clouds that darkened my horizon in July lifted. So, I'm going to be more expectant of good things. I don't think God is trying to burden us. He is trying to bless us - in large part because we have given our children to Him, including having the two oldest go to Oneida and we embraced that plan when it became clear that it was God's will. Having given my oldest son was a turinging point because he really didn't have to go to Oneida but both he and I knew the Lord called him and we all responded in obedience. Then the adoption "revelation" happened. And I proceeded forward in obedience and expectant faith, finding my entire family, extended family and community enthusiastic. Not one person, other than the social worker has given us anything but positive feedback. (I haven't told my mother(!) and few others yet though!)

So, Matt, if we are able to adopt Matt, and if we end up being able to adopt Brent, they are gifts to us, not burdens or problems or duties or headaches. God wants to bless us because, in part, we have shown ourselves faithful (not perfect) to His calling. So, I will look up, and I think I will have a full measure of joy, as much as it is possible on earth, through the inclusion of this (these) boys into our home.

Still with me? Long post. (I'm on a real computer and I can write a lot longer than on that little phone that limits how much I can write.) Prayer requests please: 1) My husband has to do two paperwork items (yieks!) that has to get done before Mr. L can fax the homestudy report of Kentucky. My husband says he will have them done by Saturday night. He is going out of town Monday. One of the paperwork items involves a signature from a CPA (yieks!). The other item is a one page autobiography. Pray these get done (and get on my desk ASAP! - I won't tell him those words.) This stuff freaks me out when I'm "in the flesh" (what the heck is that?) 2) Everything falls in line after that, including the non-outdated prayer requests submitted about a week or ten days ago.

Thanks. I write more but I better let you go. As the meeting was coming to a close tonight my youngest boy asked, "So, do we get to adopt Matt?" (Mom is smiling.) God is fun. Check out L, L, L's blog for today. Like I told her, I'll be wallpapering my house with the print -out from that. That reminds me, I can probably get this thing to print that out for me for real! I'll try. (You can connect to L, L, L through my comments section from yesterday - who the heck knows how to do a link? Not me!) It will be a delight to keep you posted.