One Year Ago today was devastating to us. It was the day that our Agency called and gave us the news we never saw coming.....the two beautiful children whose referral we had accepted and we were just waiting for our Court Date to be given, had been taken back from the Orphanage by their birth mother. These children whose pictures were posted around our home, whose names were part of all our dinner conversations, who already had beds and some clothes waiting for them, who were already family in our hearts - were gone - forever. Even as I write this I get teary. We loved these two deeply. We still have their pictures, we still pray for them, still worry about them and hope that someday we will see them in Heaven. We will never forget about them.
One Year Ago this week, a 6 month old girl was transferred from her orphanage in Assela, to another one in Addis Ababa. There were pictures taken of her on October 13, 2011 - a few days after she had arrived at the new orphanage. She stayed at the orphanage as her paperwork was prepared for her adoption. No one knows why, but gathering her paperwork took longer than usual and her referral was finally ready on February 27, 2012. But, had it happened any sooner than that, her new family might not have been ready to accept the referral for a girl so young, as they thought they should adopt a preschool aged child or older. Had her paperwork been ready earlier, the Agency would not have even thought to share this referral with her family, because the family had been clear that they didn't want such a young one.
And, now we can look back and see how God was moving behind the scenes....delaying paperwork, making the ache in our hearts so deep that we were ready to look at different age ranges, moving that little girl to Addis at just the the right time so that now we can see His hand mightily at work. We have now received the gift of Martha Joy with deep gratitude, knowing that she was intended to be a Jansen long before we knew it.
This morning, my devotional for today, One Year Later, was this.....
"Be wiling to follow wherever I lead. Follow Me wholeheartedly, with glad anticipation quickening your pace. Though you don't know what lies ahead, I know; and that is enough! Some of My richest blessings are just around the bend: out of sight, but nonetheless very real. To receive these gifts, you must walk by faith - not by sight." Jesus Calling by Sarah Young
We declared One Year Ago today, that we would continue the adoption journey, and walk by faith, trusting in God's plan and purpose. Today, we can fully rejoice in that!
This is shared with you, our blog readers, to encourage you. If it feels devastating, lonely, like there is no way out or just so confusing, empty, ____?____. Trust God and walk by faith. Sometimes getting around that bend may feel like it is taking forever and you will never reach the blessing, but hang on and Trust God. His plan is always Best.
One Year Ago this week, a 6 month old girl was transferred from her orphanage in Assela, to another one in Addis Ababa. There were pictures taken of her on October 13, 2011 - a few days after she had arrived at the new orphanage. She stayed at the orphanage as her paperwork was prepared for her adoption. No one knows why, but gathering her paperwork took longer than usual and her referral was finally ready on February 27, 2012. But, had it happened any sooner than that, her new family might not have been ready to accept the referral for a girl so young, as they thought they should adopt a preschool aged child or older. Had her paperwork been ready earlier, the Agency would not have even thought to share this referral with her family, because the family had been clear that they didn't want such a young one.
And, now we can look back and see how God was moving behind the scenes....delaying paperwork, making the ache in our hearts so deep that we were ready to look at different age ranges, moving that little girl to Addis at just the the right time so that now we can see His hand mightily at work. We have now received the gift of Martha Joy with deep gratitude, knowing that she was intended to be a Jansen long before we knew it.
This morning, my devotional for today, One Year Later, was this.....
"Be wiling to follow wherever I lead. Follow Me wholeheartedly, with glad anticipation quickening your pace. Though you don't know what lies ahead, I know; and that is enough! Some of My richest blessings are just around the bend: out of sight, but nonetheless very real. To receive these gifts, you must walk by faith - not by sight." Jesus Calling by Sarah Young
We declared One Year Ago today, that we would continue the adoption journey, and walk by faith, trusting in God's plan and purpose. Today, we can fully rejoice in that!
This is shared with you, our blog readers, to encourage you. If it feels devastating, lonely, like there is no way out or just so confusing, empty, ____?____. Trust God and walk by faith. Sometimes getting around that bend may feel like it is taking forever and you will never reach the blessing, but hang on and Trust God. His plan is always Best.
