Anticipation

This week I am finally anticipating our home study approval letter to be finalized at the ministry. If not this Friday the next one for sure. This Friday is week 14. Back in the fall this part of the process only took 4-6 weeks for potential adoptive parents. Budget cuts and a new director is the cause of the delay as far as I can tell from chatting with our adoption practitioner.

Regardless the word anticipation really stuck out in my head this morning. I felt God leading me to see what He had to say about the word. The google dictionary says this:

an·tic·i·pate /anˈtisəˌpāt/Verb
1.Regard as probable; expect or predict.
2.Guess or be aware of (what will happen) and take action in order to be prepared.

Synonyms
expect - foresee - forestall - await

Which rings true. I am expecting our file to be approved soon and I am predicting it to be received by our agency this Friday or next.

I used a Bible Gateway keyword search in a few different versions to see if anything would give me peace in the waiting today. I came across a few verses. A verse in Isaiah 65 really stuck out in The Message version and made me smile. It is God speaking to His people about New Heavens and a New Earth.

All the earlier troubles, chaos, and pain
are things of the past, to be forgotten.
Look ahead with joy.
Anticipate what I’m creating:
Isaiah 65 verses 17-18

It reminded me that even though we have been trying to create a family for 940 days (yes I keep count) that HE is the one creating our family. He knows what is best and I am trying my best to look forward with joy. I am planning in anticipation of vivi's arrival. And today I am trying to forgot the earlier pain of those 940 days. Maybe day 941 will be better.


The other verse that stuck out in my search was 2 Chronicles 15:14-15 also in The Message version.

They shouted out their promise to God, a joyful sound accompanied with blasts from trumpets and rams’ horns. The whole country felt good about the covenant promise—they had given their promise joyfully from the heart. Anticipating the best, they had sought God—and he showed up, ready to be found. God gave them peace within and without—a most peaceable kingdom!

While these two verses refer to the Israelites I find it can also apply to us potential adoptive parents. God has promised to set the lonely in families. And if we seek Him he will reveal His heart to us and give us peace. Like the Israelites I so desire the inner and outer peace that only He can provide and I am so glad to be able to praise Him and let Him have my pain in exchange for His peace.