waiting for a placement

Today my heart is aching for orphans.

My facebook status says "This morning I am just overwhelmed by the thought of the number of children who don't have a loving, stable parent to take care of them or a safe place to live. Today I am praying for orphans, that God would not leave them fatherless, but place them in a family."

I look at the photo-listings on www.adoptuskids.org and my heart aches, and my eyes fill up with tears at all the atrocities, trauma, abuse and neglect these children must have faced just to get to the point of being in-limbo and listed as wards of the state.  (The listings at www.reesesrainbow.org are even more heart-wrenching for me, and I have trouble reading them/looking at them.)

Last night at bedtime we were praying for friends who are traveling internationally to visit their adopted child. We are praying hard that the necessary documents,visas and paperwork will be completed in the next 2 weeks so that they can all be home for Christmas. As I was praying for them, and orphans in general, Hannah piped in "And let one of them be adopted into our home, Jesus." I love her giving, generous spirit. 

We have had our foster parent license for almost 6 months but haven't gotten a single placement. This leaves us wondering where to go from here. We cannot afford an international adoption, and would rather adopt locally (or as locally as possible) from the foster care system. I don't know what this will look like for our family, but I am continuing to pray that God will bring the right 2 children to us at the right time. Mike is convinced that we should immediately pluck 2 siblings from foster care - but I am not so sure that's how it will be. Maybe it will be 2 different children who don't have any other siblings. Maybe they'll look somewhat like us. Maybe they won't. I'm trying not to expect anything specific. 

So last night I was feeling kind of discouraged, because we haven't been matched with anyone. I know our social worker is a very busy person and that she puts her heart into her work. I know she is not lazy or idle or overlooking us... but I don't know why we haven't gotten any placements.

This morning I realized that it was just over a year ago when we were shut-out from our original MAPP classes. And God dismissed that hurdle, and got us licensed faster than we would have originally. I can only guess that this waiting period is meant to teach me patience.

So for now, I will trust in Him, and wait on His timing (impatiently).