PERSEVERANCE…Running The Race of Our Lives

If you are a follower of this blog…you may or may not have noticed that we have not posted in a while.  There are several reasons. The main reason is because blogging stresses me out.  I consider myself quite the amateur, but it is the best way to tell our story..let me rephrase that…God’s story.  So here I go..our update.

We are coming up on almost two years into this journey.  To be honest, I can’t remember what our life was like before the question, “so, when will your daughter come home?”.  Our answer, believe it or not, is still….we don’t know.  This summer while on our family vacation, my nieces (who might I say are so patiently waiting to meet their cousin) included her in every plan they have for next year.  We all kept repeating, “She will have to be here next year”…the truth is…I am not so sure.  This process is anything but dependable and this breaks my heart.  A very dear friend of mine is going through the task of nursing her daughter back to health and the doctors told her that the process would be “a marathon, not a sprint”.  Those words have been stuck in the back of my mind.  I told my friend once that she has every reason to feel tired and weary sometimes because she hadn’t really trained for a ‘marathon’.  Well my dear friend (you know who you are), I was wrong.  God has prepared us both.  Different races, but for the same goal…His Glory.  That will be our finish line.

This is what has clouded my view lately.  I know that the finish line is in sight, but things like doubt, fear and impatience have been the sweat in my eyes during this marathon called “adoption”.  I have always wanted to run a half marathon.  My intentions have been good but in no way have I tried to actually train.

This would be a perfect book for my kind of training.  I need a swift kick every so often to

 keep going and I have just what I need when I sit and actually listen to the One training me.

JAMES 1:2-4(THE MESSAGE)^2-4 CONSIDER IT A SHEER GIFT, FRIENDS, WHEN TESTS AND CHALLENGES COME AT YOU FROM ALL SIDES. YOU KNOW THAT UNDER PRESSURE, YOUR FAITH-LIFE IS FORCED INTO THE OPEN AND SHOWS ITS TRUE COLORS. SO DON’T TRY TO GET OUT OF ANYTHING PREMATURELY. LET IT DO ITS WORK SO YOU BECOME MATURE AND WELL-DEVELOPED, NOT DEFICIENT IN ANY WAY.

So here are my true colors…out in the open for  all to read.  I am a terrible marathon runner or trainee so to speak.  This journey has taken more out of me than I could have ever expected.  I am ugly at times.  I scream, cry and actually stomp my feet at this long process. I see so much injustice and it makes my stomach turn.  I watch the calendar months turn and I weep…another month of my own children asking when their sister will finally make our family whole.  But as James so eloquently puts it, the testing of our faith produces perseverance. Perseverance is defined in Webster’s Dictionary as : “continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition : steadfastness“

Hebrews 10:35..39 (The Message)

So don’t throw it all away now. You were sure of yourselves then. It’s still a sure thing! But you need to stick it out, staying with God’s plan so you’ll be there for the promised completion.

But we’re not quitters who lose out. Oh, no! We’ll stay with it and survive, trusting all the way.

So there it is…the good news!!!!! We are not quitters and we WILL stay with it and not only survive but we will thrive through this race of our lives.  Thank you to all of you who are running along side of us or cheering us from the sidelines.  We need you now more than ever to help us get to the finish line.  Here are some ways you can help:

PRAY continuously.  For us, the children, the government, the orphanage, the other families, and the place we will always call our home away from home..Haiti.

ENCOURAGE.  We need it every so often.  🙂

GIVE.  Until now we have done it mostly on our own with the help of some along the way. These next few months will be a critical time and there will be additional expenses to move things on to completion.  If you have felt it in your heart to help bring our Natasha home, we have added a PayPal Donate button on our blog to make it easy for you.  If you have any questions, feel free to contact us.

SHARE.  Share our story with others.  Spread the Word.

I close with one last bit of encouragement from Hebrews 12:1 …

Discipline in a Long-Distance Race

Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever.

We can do the same with His help and yours.