Let's Try This Again...

I’m sitting on a plane, currently watching my son sleep soundly next to me, on our way home from a quick trip to my parent’s house.  It’s hard to believe that in less than 48 hours, I will be flying out yet again, but this time to bring home our daughter, Madhavi.  Even as I write those words, I can hardly believe them and feel like I have to pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming.

This past summer, Biruk said to me, rather a matter of fact, “Madhavi is going to be home for my birthday.”  To which I said, “Buddy…it’s going to take a miracle for that to happen.”  Fast forward several months and that miracle has found it’s birth in a season of our life where we least expected it.  

On Monday, I decided very last minute to fly home with Biruk to visit my parents.  My mom had recently had knee surgery, I had few free days, and I hadn’t been home since last Christmas, so it sounded like a great plan.  The night before we left, I was putting Biruk to bed and said to him, “You know what buddy?  I think we really need to pray hard tonight and ask God to get Madhavi’s passport now, so that she can be here for your birthday.”  Biruk immediately said, “Mom, I don’t think that’s going to happen.  My birthday is in two Tuesdays and two days.  That’s like really soon.”  I turned to him and said, “Well you know what buddy?  God can move mountains when he wants to and can pretty much do whatever he wants.  I think we should pray.”  So we did.

The next morning, I get this text from Nate (who had stayed home to work) saying, “We’re ready to fly!!!!!”  Totally stunned, I turn to my mom and said, “I think we’re going to India.”  After a few minutes of talking to Nate on the phone, I would find out that not only did Madhavi have her passport, but we were going to travel in like 5 days!  I was totally blown away.

That night, I was laying in bed next to Biruk , saying night time prayers, and I turned to him and said, “Hey buddy!  How cool was that they we prayed last night that Madhavi would get her passport now, and she got it today!  God totally answered our prayers.”  He looked at me with his big wide eyes and said, “You think we should try it again???”

God totally hears our prayers and I don’t know why it continues to shock and amaze me, but it leaves me in total wonder of his awesomeness.  This timeline of our adoption has been crazy.  We will leave on Monday night (which by the way is 4 days after finding out we had the passport, a timeline that should have been 1-2 weeks, and return the following Saturday, about a week before Thanksgiving and Biruk’s birthday.  Madhavi will be home for Thanksgiving, Biruk’s birthday, and Christmas.  Writing that out…still blows me away.

God is so good, and as we get ready to travel, I find myself praying these things…

·      That Madhavi would feel loved unconditionally from the moment we meet her

·      That we would experience an attachment process that only God could orchestrate

·      That the sicknesses would be few and we would feel healthy along this journey

·      That the process would be smooth in India, smooth on the plane, and smooth coming home.

·      That God would prepare Biruk’s heart for his new sister

·      That our family would be deeply bonded, protected, and encouraged in these days

·      That Jesus would be glorified in the most amazing ways on this journey

“You think we should try it again?”  Yes, buddy.  Let's do this!  To Him be the glory.