As many of my friends know, we are in the process of adopting our grandsons. They've lived with us since they were babies and 21 months ago we started the process. We paid our attorney a nice litte retainer which he said should cover it and started what we thought would be a simple and easy process. Why shouldn't it be? The boys parents had requested that we adopt them so it should be smooth sailing.
Well, no...it's not that easy. First we have to do a home study. Oh, and another large check is required for that, thank you very much. Background checks, fingerprints, pages and pages of questions...we're on the road. Then our son-in-law decided to throw a curveball which derailed us for several months.
Finally...we're back on track...home study is done...it's looking good...then we don't hear from our attorney- for a very long time. Calls made assure us that everything is fine he's just taking care of details. Meanwhile, our retainer has been used up and then some.
Then last summer everything started moving again. The parents had signed all of their paperwork, we got a hearing date scheduled for October, and our daughter threw us another curveball. So we recheduled for November....things still aren't settled. We have to hire an attorney in Virginia, where our daughter and her now ex-husband live. But our hearing was reset for December 22nd.
Last Thursday night I lay in bed pondering this whole situation. Were we doing the right thing? If we were then why has it been so complicated? Why wasn't God opening doors for us? And why does it always have to include worrying about having enough money to take care of it all?
And the biggest thread of all was why?, why?,why???
Friday morning just as hubby and Preston had left for the day I get a call from our attorney's aide. She told me they found an attorney in Virginia who would do this for us and didn't think it would be a problem to get things done in time for our hearing. But, the aide said, (
oh Lord, why is there always a but?) attorneys charge a lot more on the east coast and this one was requiring a $1000 retainer fee. I told her thank you and I'd get back to her. After I hung up I called my husband and told him. We were both upset. We didn't have the money. This entire process has us tapped out. We decided to pray about it and then decide what to do. Now, I'll be honest...I was praying, but I was crying also. And all of the questions from the night before came flooding back to me.
As I was praying and crying a friend called. I told about what was wrong and asked them to pray. A little while later this friend was at my door, with a little over $900 in cash in an envelope. They said they wanted us to have the boys and this was their way of helping us accomplish this. After I closed the door...I knelt on the floor and wept. Yes, God had once again provided for a need when we didn't know where it would come from. But even more than that...God had shown me that He did care about the boys, about the adoption and even about the financial worries.
I deposited the money, wrote out a check for the attorney, and then I posted the deposit slip on my regrigerator door as a reminder that God is working behind the scenes, where I can't see, and is there taking care of the details for us.
My verse for the month:
Isaiah 65:24Before they call I will answer;While they are yet speaking I will hear.The attorneys are still ironing out the wrinkles, and they need to take place before December 22nd. Please pray with us that everything will be done and ready in plenty of time so that we can have our hearing as scheduled. I expect that this Christmas we will get the best gift ever.
Kris
