I mailed our dossier to the Assistant Stork on Halloween. To say the day was filled with mixed emotions would be putting it lightly.
Excitement! This is it! We are done on our end for now. It may still take awhile to bring our little lady home, but it won't be because I am not finished with paperwork. I'm going to add another sweet little face to my daily routine. Our family is growing again and approval from the Ethiopian Embassy is the adoption pregnancy test! It was positive!
Anxiety. How can I just hand this packet over to that girl standing there behind the counter? Does she know how irreplaceable these original documents are? Does she know that, in my eyes, a small child's life depends on this envelope reaching Washington DC? Can she be trusted with five months of hard work? How old is she anyway? What kind of collateral can she offer in exchange for this prized document? What is her last name? Her phone number and address? What is her mother's maiden name? Last four digits of her social? And then I breathe, and calmly hand my envelope over, pay my $22.68 and she says with a smile, "Are these adoption documents? I know they are very important to you, I just helped my friend put together her dossier!" I sigh and my heart rate returns to normal, thank you kind young person at the local UPS Store. That simple statement made that moment a whole lot easier!
Relief. It's done. And now it is out of my hands. I can let go and let God take over. And That is a joyous feeling.
And in the end....
Praise. For the God of the universe who looked into my heart and Adam's heart and said, "No, you aren't done yet. You do have room in your home and your hearts for another child. There is someone who needs you, please let them in." What loss and sorrow this little one will have already experienced even before the age of 2. But what love they will have in our home to mend their broken heart, to once again be held and told "You are loved, treasured and precious. You are a gift from God."
My job now is to pray and prepare. These two things, I can do.
~Amanda
Excitement! This is it! We are done on our end for now. It may still take awhile to bring our little lady home, but it won't be because I am not finished with paperwork. I'm going to add another sweet little face to my daily routine. Our family is growing again and approval from the Ethiopian Embassy is the adoption pregnancy test! It was positive!
Anxiety. How can I just hand this packet over to that girl standing there behind the counter? Does she know how irreplaceable these original documents are? Does she know that, in my eyes, a small child's life depends on this envelope reaching Washington DC? Can she be trusted with five months of hard work? How old is she anyway? What kind of collateral can she offer in exchange for this prized document? What is her last name? Her phone number and address? What is her mother's maiden name? Last four digits of her social? And then I breathe, and calmly hand my envelope over, pay my $22.68 and she says with a smile, "Are these adoption documents? I know they are very important to you, I just helped my friend put together her dossier!" I sigh and my heart rate returns to normal, thank you kind young person at the local UPS Store. That simple statement made that moment a whole lot easier!
Relief. It's done. And now it is out of my hands. I can let go and let God take over. And That is a joyous feeling.
And in the end....
Praise. For the God of the universe who looked into my heart and Adam's heart and said, "No, you aren't done yet. You do have room in your home and your hearts for another child. There is someone who needs you, please let them in." What loss and sorrow this little one will have already experienced even before the age of 2. But what love they will have in our home to mend their broken heart, to once again be held and told "You are loved, treasured and precious. You are a gift from God."
My job now is to pray and prepare. These two things, I can do.
~Amanda
