Busy but not in a Hurry

Friends –

We are overdue in updating our blog, having allowed the fullness of our lives to delay our posting. Thank you for your continued interest in our adoption journey, displayed by your inquiries in person and otherwise. Each month we receive an update as to the waiting list, and we are celebrating signs of progress. We receive your interest as valued signs of support.

As we have continued to wait for a referral from the adoption agency, we have busied ourselves by working toward some goals we hope to accomplish (or at least make strides toward!) before Baby #3 arrives. In fact, we often agree that this year has been filled with the most commitments of any year since we have been married. Thankfully, all our many tasks have been positive.

Nathan continues his schoolwork he began last July, spending evenings and weekend working on his dissertation. Well, not every evening, but some. His work at Trinity has been exciting as the church continues to grow and transitions into new senior pastor leadership. Kameron continues her 110-mile round-trip commute to the Alabama School for the Deaf to teach children with hearing loss how to talk. She has added tele-therapy (therapy via Skype) with several families after school and on weekends too, as a part of a research project through the Moog School in St. Louis, MO. Additionally, she has been teaching some online graduate classes in linguistics.

J. Henry is enjoying piano lessons and will start spring baseball this week. He has had a wonderful 1^st grade year and is looking forward to his 7^th birthday in May. Amelia is a big “3 and a half” now and doesn’t let her size or age prohibit her from sharing her opinion. She enjoys taking dance lessons each Wednesday afternoon. Both children express very positive feelings anticipating the arrival of Baby #3 – let’s hope that lasts :0)

In the midst of this year, we are striving to not allow our busy schedules to lead to hurried lives. As writer John Ortberg surmises, busy is an external condition of having many things to do. Hurry is an inward condition of being distracted and un-present with others and ourselves. While we are anxiously awaiting the phone call that will tell us our child will join us, we also don’t want to miss the opportunities provided to us during this waiting period to learn patience and trust. We pray for our child, his/her mother, and the people who will care for them before we bring them home.

Patience is not easy and we may not be getting any better at it. But we are allowing the wait to challenge us to use this time constructively. Because we believe that prayer, while nearly invisible and mostly immeasurable, is the most essential thing we can do.  

We deeply desire to show God’s love to one of His own by making him or her one of our own. Please pray for all five us during this journey.

In God’s Grace,

Nathan, Kameron, J. Henry, Amelia (and Baby #3!)