Time

Do you all think about time as much as I do? I measure, track and so on! I am constantly thinking about how to handle something efficiently, how to coordinate family schedules, how to maximize errand running, etc. It's a valuable resource that I want to use well! 

I also often think in terms of lapsed time... looking back at our family photo books, comparing the kids' school pictures from year to year, playing a memory game of what were we doing this time last year? 10 years ago? 

As a parent there are so many ways to measure the time passed with our kids - the birthdays, the school grades, the holidays, the well checks... let alone all of the day to day bonding and memory making. So I really struggle with the notion of lost time... For example, our daughter just turned 8. I met her when she was 5. My mind immediately does the math and focuses on the 3 years gone. It's so hard to not dwell there! 

But I'm starting to feel my mind being freed from this... It's (finally) sinking in that when God says His thoughts & ways are not the same as ours... that includes time. Time isn't the same for Him... He can redeem something that is lost in the blink of an eye.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9

When we received notice regarding our children's case in August, we had 33 days to respond. That did not seem like a doable time frame for the task at hand. Our attorney was preparing us for the long term appeal process that would ensue, assuming we didn't meet the deadline. Those 33 days became a constant countdown in the back of my mind. But as much as I was aware of it, I didn't feel all that anxious. We were confident that the bleaker things appeared to be, the greater the victory could be... and the more awesome the story would be to tell... We know from experience that God shines in what appears to be "crunch time." His ways are not ours...

And here's what has been happening:
- Our deadline was extended by a week based on a clerical error in the paperwork. That was a miraculous gift of extra time!
- The information we needed to submit was reliant upon a team in the children's birth country... a team that was also living through horrific flooding and mudslides... a team whose technology challenges meant their scanner was intermittent in getting documents to us... and yet everything needed came through in the end!
- After submitting our paperwork, our previous approval was IMMEDIATELY upheld. Hallelujah!

All incredible! So now our focus is back to securing visas. 

I don't know why this is taking so long... I don't know why this is all playing out in such a complicated, messy way... I will likely never know. But I do know that God's thoughts and ways (and concept of time) is higher than my own. There's a freedom in knowing God knows and I don't have to - I'm not even expected to!

P.S. This month marked a birthday for our sweet girl!
Praying she felt loved from a distance! 

Battle Weary

I am re-surfacing a bit after a month of craziness. For those of you I kind of shut down on, I apologize! It's been a difficult month and I was just trying to get through. Thank you for the space you've given us.

In early August we finally heard back regarding the kids' visas. It was NOT the long awaited approval that we were expecting. And so life became a whirlwind...

We retained an attorney, gathered a team of investigators overseas and just dug in. We're basically reconciling what the US ideally wants to see in terms of documentation versus what is actually available in a third world country that has very limited structure, process and resources.

We never imagined we would be in a fight like this. It's a legal battle with our own government. It's an emotional battle to stay hopeful and not give in to weariness. It's a spiritual battle to always trust that God is fighting for our family. Prayers continue to be appreciated!

“Don’t ever be afraid or discouraged... Be strong and courageous..." Joshua 10:25

"Lord, you know the hopes of the helpless. Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them. You will bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed, so mere people can no longer terrify them." Psalm 10:17-18