Our Christmas Miracle

 

Though we are so limited as to what we can share via internet, we can share this and do so with great joy:

 

 

Hopefully sleeping right now on the other side of the world is our sweet child!

 

That's right! Joshua is a brother!

 

 

As I shared in my November post, our adoption agency has matching night once a month and we were not matched in November. December's matching night will not be until after Christmas. On December 5 (1:26 pm), however, I received a phone call from the China Team saying that they had an exciting surprise for us:

 

We have a son!

 

The one for whom we've prayed since September 2011. The one we've told Joshua about since before he was born. Oh how I wish I could share his name with you now because it is so very special...but there will be a season for that. For now let me share how we told our family...

 

We were determined to surprise our parents. There is just nothing quite like the shock and excitement of telling them they have another grandchild. Nathan's parents called us the week we found out about our son and asked us to meet them on the north side of Atlanta because it had been a while since they had seen us and wanted to get together. (PERFECT!!!) So we tried to very nonchalantly agree and made plans to meet them at the mall in Kennesaw Saturday afternoon. Then I called my parents about a piece of furniture they had offered to give us and asked if we could come get it Sunday. Then Nathan and I searched everywhere for a brother t-shirt for Joshua. We casually slipped the t-shirt on him and traveled to meet both parents expecting to let Joshua surprise them with the news.  

 

Again, there will be a season to share so many special details, I want to leave you with this for now: I heard "Sing Along" by Christy Nockels for the first time in 2012 and I've hummed the chorus as a lullaby ever since. It makes me think about our little guy right now as he is, I pray, sleeping peacefully. I pray too that he comes home very very soon. Please join us in praying over our son!

 

 "Great God, wrap Your arms around this world tonight. And as You hear our cry, sing through the night, and we will join in Your song and sing along."  -Sing Along

 



 

Not Going to Let November Go By Without Posting

So it's been over a month since I posted...almost two months.

Basically two months (October and November) of waiting, expecting, and hoping for some miracles. We thought we were going to move to a farm much, well, closer to town. Don't get me wrong, we have a good home right where we are and love the people around us. We are in a season of raising children and foresee some serious mileage on our vehicles in the future years where we are. We are still waiting to see what will happen. It's all "up in the air." We hoped we might be matched for adoption before Christmas. We received our answer for this month (and until after Christmas). "Unable to secure an appropriate match for your family" at this time...the message in our portal when I checked at 5:00 am.

I think it would sound petty for me to describe the emotional anguish I've felt with these uncertainties, especially since there is so much to rejoice over in my life. But if I'm honest, some of my prayers expressed desires for which there are no words, just groans that I simply trusted the Holy Spirit to translate. I think back to what Bethany said at our initial adoption meeting: "No time is wasted with God."

So how am I facing disappointment? He's teaching me. The lessons look messy ugly sometimes. But strangely, our home is at peace. I guess for a season...this Thanksgiving and Advent season...I've ceased striving. I wrestled with God throughout autumn. "LORD please make "these things" happen. They are good things. Things we feel like You've led us to do." Please make "these things" happen before Christmas," was my plea. Then, the leaves changed, then they fell and with them fell my anticipation and hope for a "YES" from the Lord...before Christmas. And now the land lies dormant.

But...

Dormancy is not death. Dormancy is a season of rest. And that is just what the Holy Spirit has granted me and is teaching me. In just the last two days I've realized some heart lessons I need to know to prepare me for the next season of being a mommy. Though I wanted to be a Martha through November and December, Jesus is telling me to be a Mary. I wanted to pack, organize and move...closer. I wanted a referral (matched with a child) before Christmas. I wanted to "nest." I wanted to make lists of planning for traveling in the Spring (or earlier). And without these daydreams fulfilled I felt I couldn't face the cold and grayness of Winter. And today the Lord says "rest." Do not rest in plans, rest in Jesus. Because until I learn to rest in Him I cannot carry out His purpose when Spring comes.

So welcome...Celebration of the Light that has shown in the Valley of Darkness! And thanks be to the God of our salvation, the Lord Jesus Christ.

That's a bit of my heart experiences Fall 2013...Now for our happy family pictures! (And they are happy). Joshua (our sweet Joshua) is so delightful. I'm honored to be his mommy! He's at an age where holiday traditions are fun for him. Maybe it's the old Kindergarten teacher in me...but I do so enjoy being festive with children.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

October Evenings

I've been able to capture some sweet moments in the Thompson family lately. These are all taken from around 5:30-7:30. We've been in our home four and a half years. This is the first year I've decorated the entry and I'm so excited about it. Joshua loves pumpkins, he just loves them as a ball. Tomorrow we plan to cut into one and I'm like a little kid about it. I'm certain there will be photos if I can at all manage it.

 

 

Just like an observant little child, he noticed most of all the lady bug on the stem.