Dear Waiting Family,
I know the halls are decked, but quieter than you'd hoped. The lights are twinkling, but your eyes feel dull. The ache of missing someone you've never met is heavy, especially during this season of celebrating the birth of our Savior. A baby born the King of kings.
If we are not careful, intentional about the direction of our thoughts, the ache in our hearts can overwhelm us. This Christmas, as you wait for your child to come home, don't miss the gift of this season.
wonder, not worry.
Allow your heart to be captivated by the wonder of Emmanuel - God with us. Exchange your worry for the wonder of knowing we serve a faithful, loving God. Embrace the wonder of love - perfect love come down, in baby form to redeem this broken world. Love that bridged the unfillable gap between us and the Father, and paid for our adoption into the family of God. There is, even in the waiting, wonder.
present, not perfect.
Be present. Present with your loved ones. Present in the moment. Present in this season. Perfection will not arrive with your child. It is not the responsibility of the child you are awaiting to bring fulfillment and completion - those are holes only Jesus can fill. So in this season where we celebrate His birth, be intentional about being present in His presence.
intercession, not imaginations.
We have the honor and responsibility to intercede in prayer for our children and their birth families. We have the opportunity and privilege to pray for children waiting to be reunified with their families, and those awaiting a family who will bring them home through adoption. To intercede means to stand in the gap. It is a way we can love like Jesus - by spiritually standing in the gap for precious children, hurting families, and waiting families. When we trade our imaginations - where our child may be, what their history is, whether or not we are enough, how we can stand to wait another moment - for intercession, we shift the focus from ourselves to our child, and to the other children and families in desperate need of our prayers.
exchanging the weight of the world, for the glory of God.
This, dear one, is what Christmas is all about. Exchanging the weight of the world for the glory of God. We get to make this beautiful exchange, because He is good, and kind, and loving. And just like we are longing to draw our child home, He is longing to draw us near.
I am praying this Christmas you experience the wonder of His love, the gift of His presence, and the power of intercession! If you need a bit more encouragement, I'd love to send you the first chapter of my book - Don't Waste Your Wait! Just use the form below to let me know where to send it!
Merry Christmas! I am praying for you, your family, and your precious child!
With His love, Naomi 
Are you waiting on the arrival of your child? Have you walked this path before? What words of encouragement would you share with someone who is in the season of waiting? I'd love to hear from you in the comments!
8 Comments
I wish I had read this last year in the midst of waiting! "It is not the responsibility of the child you are awaiting to bring fulfillment and completion - those are holes only Jesus can fill." This is so true! I struggled with my identity after my son joined our family, and was convicted that my eyes have to stay on Christ. I think that struggle with identity is something many of us experience following adoption! And I most definitely wrote that from having experienced what it's like to place unfair expectations on our children --- ones only Jesus was created to meet! Keeping our focus where it should be, and allowing Him to meet our needs, allows us and our children to thrive! 12/20/2017 12:37:08 pm
How lovely! I love your “pairs”. Wonder, don’t worry. Be present, not perfect. My kids are grown. But I wait for other things. This post is so encouraging to live in the moment. Wow. Just wow. This post brought tears to my eyes. The "in the mean time" - the waiting can be difficult for so many of us. What a beautiful reminder of how we need to keep our eyes fixed upon Jesus. He is with us during those difficult moments and helps us get through them. Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
Hi there!Adventures in faith, family, adoption, homeschooling, and training up a tribe to follow hard after Jesus are spilled into these posts --- most often written with a cup of coffee in hand. I hope you'll stick around a while and find something that brings you hope! get your copy of my book today!how i keep up!
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed
