God's Timing

Every day, I get a devotional sent to my email inbox, and most days I read those the same day that I receive them. This week though, I missed one. It was the one from Tuesday - the last day of school before break. I had a bunch of things on my "to do" list and never got to that devotional. Tonight though, I noticed it was still in my inbox, so I clicked and read exactly what God wanted me to read for today - two days later than it was sent - but never more timely for me.

Please go to www.rachelolsen.com and see the post for Tuesday, December 20th, "You Won't Miss Christmas" and click on "Devotion" in the first paragraph and read the devotional in its entirety.

Today, at the end of the day, our Adoption Agency closed for Christmas and won't reopen until Tuesday, December 27th. We had really hoped that God would give us a bit of a Christmas Miracle and that we'd get a referral for Christmas. But, that wasn't in God's plans.....read this short excerpt from the devotional if you don't have time for the entire portion....

"But the story of Joseph brings me hope. It reminds me that God's ways aren't my ways. And sometimes in our greatest difficulties we find our greatest opportunities and blessed responsibilities.

Joseph was given the honor of naming the baby Jesus — the very same name we call on today for help. Had Joseph walked away, divorcing Mary quietly, he would've missed it.

He would have missed Christmas. And he would have missed the life-defining lesson that God's plans aren't always logical in human eyes, but they can always be trusted."

So, today, I'm going to try to be more like Joseph - I am going to trust in God's plans, even though they aren't logical (Lord, I'm getting older every day here) and even though I don't always like them. I want to find the greatest opportunities and blessed responsibilities that God has in store for me. I want to offer Him my heart and service because He sent His son as a baby, knowing that His son would give His whole life for me on a cross.

And, that is why I can say truly "MERRY CHRISTMAS" to each and every one of you!

Thanks for your continued thoughts and prayers - keep praying for the children of Ethiopia!

Vicki

A Grown Up Christmas List

Today, Dave sent his grown up Christmas list out....he actually sent it to our Social Worker to see and below is her reply/comment.

Dear Santa,

In lieu of my usual list, I'm writing you to let you know that all I want for Christmas this year is an adoption referral. Please send in time for Christmas. I know I haven't been a very good boy this year. I've been struggling a lot with patience. But I promise to leave cookies and milk.

Thanks in advance.

Dave Jansen
Lewis Center, Ohio

PS - Please thank your helpers for all they do too.

Dear Santa~

I would like to second Dave's list and let you know that I too would love to see a referral for his family. It would be wonderful to have in time for Christmas, but if this is not possible, please send as soon possible afterwards. I know that they have been struggling with patience, but their graciousness has more than made up for it. Please keep this in mind.

I too thank you in advance,

*****

We are still living in HOPE and Anticipation - impatient Hope and anticipation, but looking forward all the same.

Dave & Vicki

A Lesson from Simeon

This Christmas Season, Dave is reading to me a bit each night, from different Christmas books. This is such a treat for me! Right now, we are reading "One Incredible Moment" by Max Lucado. Tonight's chapter was "Simeon: Wide-eyed and Watching". I've always loved Simeon because of his patient faith. Tonight, I felt I could relate a bit better to him (though, I do not feel currently that I have a very patient faith).

If you don't know the story of Simeon, he is mentioned in the Second chapter of Luke, as having a revelation from the Holy Spirit...."The Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen him - God's anointed King" (Luke 2:26) Simeon was a very old man when the baby Jesus was born and had been waiting a very long time to see the anointed King. Read what Lucado writes....

"He (Simeon) was "constantly expecting the Messiah" (v. 25 TLB)

He was "living in expectation of the salvation of Israel" (v 25 PHILLIPS)

He "watched and waited for the restoration of Israel" (v. 25 NEB)

The Greek language, rich as it is with terms, has a stable full of verbs that mean "to look."....

Of all the forms of look, the one that best captures what it means to "look for the coming" is the term used to describe the action of Simeon: prosdechomai. Dechomai meaning "to wait." Pros meaning "forward". Combine them and you have the graphic picture of one "waiting forwardly." The grammar is poor, but the image is great. Simeon was waiting; not demanding, not hurrying, he was waiting.

But he was waiting with anticipation. Calmly expectant. Eyes open. Arms extended. Searching the crowd for the right face, and hoping the face appears today....

In the end, the prayer of Simeon was answered. "Simeon took the baby in his arms and thanked God; 'Now, Lord, you can let me, your servant, die in peace, as you said'" (Luke 2:28-29)

One look into the face of Jesus, and Simeon knew the hope of his life had been fulfilled. One look into the face of our Savior, and we will know the same." (One Incredible Moment by Max Lucado)

WOW! Simeon waited for years for the anointed King, the Christ child, to come. It was the hope of his lifetime. If he could wait a lifetime anticipating, hoping and waiting for the King of the universe, certainly, God will give us the strength to keep anticipating, hoping and waiting for this adoption process to make some moves forward.

This adoption is going to be such a fulfillment of so many hopes and dreams and ultimately, the fulfillment of the adoption call put on our hearts.

But, even greater still will be the fulfillment of our Lifetime, when we look into the face of Jesus, our Savior, who came to earth on Christmas to give us Hope. This Christmas, the theme of Hope keeps coming to the forefront in so many ways. The ultimate Hope though, is that we live in Hope and eager anticipation of someday seeing Jesus face to face. Just the thought of that is too awesome to even begin to describe.

May you know the HOPE that a King has been born and lived and died so that each day, you also may have hope......even as you struggle, mourn, worry or wait.

May your Christmas this year be a season of Hope!

The Stockings were hung....

Today, I finally put up the stockings. I went to pull them out earlier this week and wasn't able to put them up. You see, last year after Christmas (and, yes, a good sale), I found some extra stocking/stocking holders in anticipation of having a new family member here to celebrate Christmas with us. When I opened that box of Christmas items earlier this week, I just wasn't prepared to see those items and be reminded again that we are still waiting. It seems to be the little things, happenings that I don't see coming, that send me down that road of yearning and aching and tears.

We know some of you see us with four awesome, healthy, wonderful children, jobs we enjoy, a marriage that is strong and those things are blessings way beyond what we deserve. But, God has also placed this ache, that we just can't put into words, into our hearts to adopt an orphan. And, the longer we wait, the deeper and heavier that ache becomes. When we started the process, it was expected to be a 9-12 month process. Later this month, it will mark 20 months of being "in process" or "paper pregnant". We knew we signed up for a marathon - but at this point, it feels like it has turned into a triathlon with Ethiopia changing their rules and regulations in the middle of it all, and the loss of the referral of those two children we already loved so much! Our hearts and minds and emotions are running on fumes and it is all taking its toll in various ways. In many ways, our spirits are just exhausted.

We have questioned God and really wrestled with what is going on in our adoption. We have wondered if God just wanted us to attempt to adopt to test our faithfulness and obedience, as he did with Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 22:1-12. After much prayer, discussion and searching, we believe that it is more like that story of Isaac and Rebekah in Genesis 25:24-26. Isaac and Rebekah had to wait until Isaac was sixty years old (okay, we hope we're not waiting that long!) and had to plead with God to give them a child. That's where we are at - we are pleading, pretty much on a daily basis.

And, today, as I pleaded, I hung up stockings. Eight of them......as a sign of HOPE for what IS to come. As I was hanging up stockings, I was listening to "Mandisa" and her album "Freedom". How fitting the words to "Broken Hallelujah" were as the stockings were hung....

"With my love and my sadness, I come before you Lord

My heart's in a thousand pieces, Maybe even more

Yet I trust in this moment, You're with me somehow

And You've always been faithful, So Lord even now

When all that I can sing is a broken Hallelujah

When my only offering is shattered praise

Still a song of adoration will rise up from these ruins

I will worship You and give You thanks

Even when my only praise is a broken Hallelujah"

So, I continue to give God my broken, teary, hanging on by a thread at some moments, Hallelujah, knowing He accepts my praise even in broken ways.

Because of the Joy and Hope that only Jesus brings - we continue the journey.