The Author of this process

The author of this adoption process is a crafty one.  There is no detail that He has overlooked, but there are plenty that He has not yet revealed.  Looking back on the last few years' events, many of them have been somewhat more drawn-out and complex than we initially imagined they would have been.  I have the distinct impression that the Author is bringing the story to a moment of literary climax and that after all of the hard-fought battles are over, there will be something unimaginably beautiful waiting for us.

All of these events have been important parts of our preparation to be parents and, though it's tempting to resent them, are experiences that we value and even treasure.  We still don't know how the rest of our story will play out, but we have a peace amidst the storm and we know we are safe within a perfectly crafted story.

• Starting the process (2006)--we actually had to wait until we'd been married 4.5 years to begin building our first dossier.
  
• El Salvador (2006-2008)--this process was full of surprises, and things in El Salvador stalled, we were left wondering what God had in mind for our family.  But only for a little while.
  
• Switching to Brazil (2008)--when we finally realized that our children were not in El Salvador, but in Brazil, we began the dossier process all over again.  
  
• Brazilian referrals (2009)--the referral process was so much more drawn out and complicated than we expected.  We saw referrals of several children and sibling groups before we understood that God had more than just a couple children waiting to make up our family.  
  
• Seeing our children for the first time (March, 2009)--We always thought that once we got a referral, it would be a downhill ride, but there has been much struggle to request that these children became our sons and daughters.  
  
• Petitioning to adopt (April, 2009)--We thought we would get a definite response, but discovered that there were several components to to that process and are still (in late-June, 2009) still waiting for the assurance that we will adopt them.  
  
• Judge on vacation (the entire month of June, 2009)--When will she look at our paperwork?  We do not know, but we know she has returned.
  
• CEJA moves to a new office (June/July, 2009)--What this will mean, we still do not know, but it's one more uphill step in this long and unpredictable climb.  
  

School in Connecticut has ended for the summer and our hope is that we will be on our way to Brazil soon for the climactic moment of this story.  If we leave any time in the next 3 weeks or so, we will be home on time for the new school year to begin.  To me, that sounds like perfect timing, but I am not the author of this story.  

Hebrews 12:2-3  Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.