God's Plan

I haven't blogged in quite a while, but there is a good reason for that.  We have been feeling for a few months that God was wanting to change our lives, but we weren't sure how.  Well, we know a large part of it now!  The big event that has occurred over the last month is that Chris got a new job which happens to be in Fort Worth, Texas.  He actually started last week and we are getting ready to move!

We always thought we would move here someday to be closer to cousins and more family, but we started feeling strongly that He was calling us to push our plans up and start looking for jobs now.  What we did not realize was that God was also asking us to relinquish control and let this happen in His time.  Chris applied for a job one week, was offered the job one week later and he started the job less than two weeks later.  Seriously.  

We are learning so much from this process, though.  Things that I know that we would not be learning if we were not going through this.  We are learning what we are capable of (like clearing out much of our house in under two weeks), we are learning how little our stuff matters and how many needy people are out there waiting for someone to post things on craigslist for a great price or for free, we are learning how capable our children are, we are learning that when God lays out his plan for you He will take care of the details, and we are learning to make decisions together.  However, I think one of the most meaningful things we are learning, other than the power of obeying God, is how it feels to leave everything you know and are comfortable with and to have to relearn how to get around, and how to find new places and become comfortable with a new setting...on a much smaller scale, we are learning how our future adopted children will feel.  

This experience will help us to understand why he is confused, sad, scared, and why those feelings come and go for no understandable reason.  I think it is giving us compassion and empathy in a way that we would not have had it before.  It also helps us to appreciate what we do have-we have the control to research new places, we have people we know here and we are moving with our little family who we are familiar with.  Our adopted children will be moving to an unknown country, state, city, with a new language, a new family, new things that they have never seen before, new food, a new bed, and an entire new way of life.  

I truly believe that God prepares us for things that we are going to face as well as preparing us to relate to and help people who we are going to meet.  

This does put our adoption on hold for a bit, but as soon as we get settled in Texas we can continue everything again.  It does not change our place in the wait list, but we will need to get a new home study with a Texas agency.

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:10-13