The next step

    The long-awaited LOA has arrived!  The long-awaited engagement (Krista and Jeremy)  has arrived! Jeremy proposed to Krista (our 3rd daughter) on Mother's Day and the LOA came 3 days later.  We are excited, but ....
     Seriously, did God really think I could handle planning and possibly having a wedding in June and going to China to get Isaac in July?  Is this a test, or should I say opportunity, for relying on God or what?  O.K., I can do this -- no need to panic.  HELP...
     I'm not really complaining.  The last several years of my life have seemed like one emergency after another, but big blessings have often come as a result.  I am developing deep-water faith which cannot happen if I stay in the shallow end.  Yes, I was sometimes pushed into the deep-end and did not go voluntarily, but the results are the same.  I am learning to swim with a God whose strength is sufficient for my needs.  He is a vigilant lifeguard whom I can count on to rescue me when I am in over my head. 
     All is well with my soul.  My brain is another matter.  It is going 90 miles an hour.  What do I need to do to prepare for Isaac?  Stock the freezer with easy meals, schedule doctor appointments, find furniture for his room, deep-clean the house, figure out what we will need to pack for China, and still find a way to raise about $4000 more dollars.
     What do I need to do to prepare for Krista's wedding?  Find a place within our budget, send invitations, discuss flowers, make decorations, plan and possibly prepare food, help her find a dress, lose 20 pounds, and discover the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow so we can pay for a wedding.  Phew!  This summer is going to be busy.
      How blessed I am to have a beautiful daughter about to be married and a son in China to bring home.

The Waiting

     The waiting is so hard.  I'm seeing families who were logged in a month later than us receive their LOA's.
It's easy to start looking for someone to blame -- whose fault is it that we haven't been served yet?  It is a family joke for the Simmons' to be the last ones served in a restaurant or to be the family whose order gets lost.  Oh well ... we've gotten many free meals that way.  Bill has taught me to laugh and enjoy the extra time together instead of grumble and complain.  But  it's sooo hard.  And this is more important than food.
     I know God's timing is perfect.  I know the devil loves to sow seeds of doubt and fear during a delay, so why am I entertaining him?  How many times a day am I shooing away the What Ifs and How Comes?  I should be sleeping right now like the rest of my family, not writing a blog.  It's amazing how writing something down or speaking it aloud can bring clarity to a situation.  I think I'm ready to rest in His goodness now.  Good Night.

P.S.  For those of you who think it is insane to travel all the way across the world to claim a son we've never seen, you are absolutely right.  Isn't it exciting?