I tell my kids all the time that courage is not the absence of fear, but action even when your afraid. We have our fears. We have been down this road before, and so we are a little less starry eyed - knowing how difficult this part will be for our little girl.
She has bonded with a foster family for the past year - something we are incredibly grateful for - and we know that because of this family, Ivy long term will be so much better off. This family is an incredible answer to prayer. In spring 2016, I wrote specifically that God would provide loving caregivers for our child. Through a non-profit Grace & Hope, Ivy has been sponsored by a sweet family, and given this incredible opportunity to be in foster care. It is an enormous blessing!
But the hard part for Ivy comes now in the saying goodbye. My heart just breaks for her, knowing that this is coming in just a few short days. We are praying for her to have a peace beyond understanding, and for her to have courage and the strength to begin to trust us and bond with us. Please pray this with us - that she would have peace in this, and that even in her grief, she will begin to open up and bond with us during our time in China.
Please also pray for the safety of Ezra and Lainey while we are away. This trip is so unlike anything else - because we will be SO far away, and also unable to return home (because Ivy cannot leave until that visa is issued). Our kiddos are in the BEST hands, and we are praying that everything goes smoothly for them while we are away. I can't wait for that moment when we see them again in the airport and get to introduce them to their new baby sister!
I pray for you all daily. Today, these scriptures come to mind:
ReplyDelete“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:4-7 NIV
For Ivy:
“Lord, you know everything there is to know about me. You perceive every movement of my heart and soul, and you understand my every thought before it even enters my mind. You are so intimately aware of me, Lord. You read my heart like an open book and you know all the words I’m about to speak before I even start a sentence! You know every step I will take before my journey even begins.
You’ve gone into my future to prepare the way, and in kindness you follow behind me to spare me from the harm of my past. With your hand of love upon my life, you impart a blessing to me. This is just too wonderful, deep, and incomprehensible! Your understanding of me brings me wonder and strength. Where could I go from your Spirit? Where could I run and hide from your face?
Wherever I go, your hand will guide me; your strength will empower me.
You formed my innermost being, shaping my delicate inside and my intricate outside, and wove them all together in my mother’s womb. I thank you, God, for making me so mysteriously complex! Everything you do is marvelously breathtaking. It simply amazes me to think about it! How thoroughly you know me, Lord! You even formed every bone in my body when you created me in the secret place, carefully, skillfully shaping me from nothing to something. You saw who you created me to be before I became me! Before I’d ever seen the light of day, the number of days you planned for me were already recorded in your book. Every single moment you are thinking of me! How precious and wonderful to consider that you cherish me constantly in your every thought! O God, your desires toward me are more than the grains of sand on every shore! When I awake each morning, you’re still with me.
God, I invite your searching gaze into my heart. Examine me through and through; find out everything that may be hidden within me. Put me to the test and sift through all my anxious cares. See if there is any path of pain I’m walking on, and lead me back to your glorious, everlasting ways— the path that brings me back to you.”
Psalms 139:1-7, 10, 13-18, 23-24 TPT