With Surrender Comes Peace

Well, tomorrow is my little boy's second birthday, and some of you have asked how I'm doing, knowing that we will not be with him on that day (thank you so much for caring enough to ask!). My answer to this question is, of course, complex. The first part to the answer: I wish he could be right here, right now... but he can't. The second part to the answer, and the part that amazes me: I'm O.K. with that. To expound on that even further, I actually feel a sense of excited anticipation.

This feeling surprises me... I used to say I would surely fall apart if we didn't make it to Russia by April 15th. Since our son's birthday falls really close to the four-month mark we had been told to expect, I used this date as kind of a "worst case scenario" deadline for myself.

WARNING: (this is directed to all prospective adoptive parents who following behind us on the adoption path) DO NOT DO THIS TO YOURSELF!!!!!!!

I know my positive outlook on this otherwise grim reality is a gift- and it can be directly attributed to the people who have covered us in prayer and love through our adoption journey.
All of the support we have received from others (especially my best girlfriend, Robin, who has been soooo incredibly supportive- thanks girlfriend :0) ) throughout this time has been incredible. It's so comforting and uplifting to have so many people so deeply entrenched in this journey with us. God has moved so many hearts to pray for us and for our son, and this has made all the difference to us. Those prayers and love have enabled me to surrender to the fact that God is completely in control of EVERY detail of this entire adoption journey. The wrestling with God over the timing and specifics is over... praise God!!!... and it has been replaced with an incredible peace.

"I have told you these things,
so that in me you may have peace.
In this world you will have trouble.
But take heart!
I have overcome the world."
John 16:33