The Encouragers

First, a quick adoption update for you...

As I last mentioned (a mere four months ago!), we submitted our dossier to our agency.  I won't bore you with the lengthy details, but once that happens, our dossier had to go through a few steps and travel back and forth across the U.S. to get it all ready to go to Haiti.  A few weeks later, it arrived in Haiti, where it was translated and went through a few more steps.  Then, on May 23rd, it was submitted to IBESR, which is essentially Haitian Social Services.  That is our biggest milestone in the Haiti process so far.  What that means is that we are now "officially" waiting to be matched with a child.  The estimated time frame for that to happen is "about" a year.  Which, if you've learned anything from watching our process, you probably know that time frames are very "loose." We have definitely learned not to depend heavily on them, since God is working this all out in His time, anyway.  Since we didn't actually find out that it had been submitted until June 23rd (one month later!), we had already been "officially waiting" for a month, and we didn't even know it!  Ha!  How's that for helping the time pass quickly? 

This past Monday, we had our third set of fingerprints done for U.S. Customs and Immigration.  It was our first set for Haiti, and the change in country makes this application a little different than our last.  Once we (hopefully) get that approval, there aren't any big adoption "to-do" items on the list for a while.  YAY!  So, there's a good chance that our adoption updates will not be as frequent from here on out, but we are hoping that one of the next updates will be the BIG one when we can tell you that we have seen the face of the little one we (and many of you) have been praying for over these past 3 years.

With the ups and downs of adoption, the L-O-N-G wait, the updated Home Study, yet another set of fingerprints, the heartbreak of a lost referral, the hours and hours of paperwork, the budgeting, and all the check-writing, there have been a few discouraging days for us.  We have had more than our share of happy days as well, but we have had a few days when it all just felt a little heavy.  I am sure you can relate.  We all have those days when it feels like we are just trudging through mud just trying to make it through the day. 

"But God, who encourages those who are discouraged..." - 2 Corinthians 7:6 (NLT)

"But, God..." God, the ultimate Encourager.  God, the Giver of encouragement.  "But, God encourages those who are discouraged..."

Lately, I have been the beneficiary of the gift of encouragement.  I have been blessed by a number of people who I call the encouragers.  They are the ones God has sent my way, at just the right moment, to lift my spirits, to make me smile or laugh, or to temporarily take my mind off whatever is currently weighing it down.  You know them, too.  It's the neighbor who God puts just a few doors down, in your new town, who welcomes you with a smile, a hug, and a sweet word every time you see her; and when she moves out just a short ten months later (sniff), brings YOU a farewell gift.  It's the girlfriends who text, out of the blue, just to say, "How's the adoption going?" and follow that up with an encouraging word.  It's the random cards that show up in the mail with a check inside, and words that say, "I wish I could do more" or "God told me to send you this."  And, it all just is too much, and you just sit down in the floor and bawl.  It's the friends going through their own adoption, who jump at the chance to help out with your fundraiser. It's when your husband knows that you have been a little down, and he texts some of your best friends' husbands, and they figure out a weekend when you can all get away for some girl time and just tell you to write it on the calendar.   It's the former pastor and dear friend who still sends encouragement and cheers you on even though you are now a few states away.  It's the friend, who you JUST recently met, who decides to raise money for your adoption.  It's the group of friends who change around their Spring Break plans and work schedules on short notice just to get away for a few days, laugh, and make some memories with you.  It's the friend who periodically sends you the most hilarious, random cards, just because she likes to make people smile.  It's the adoptive mom you meet at a birthday party, who befriends you and offers wisdom, encouragement and support every chance she gets.  It's your lifelong friend who sends you random things in the mail to remind you that there are friends who have known you your whole life, and by the grace of God, still love you.  It's the friends who text you to make sure you know there is a Groupon for Starbucks today. :)  It's the two groups of ladies who I am in a group text with that make my life a little happier and brighter in little bits throughout every single day, just because I know they are there for me.  It's the friends who walk in the door with a surprise gift they know that you have been wanting.  It's the person you know you can call and just talk about absolutely everything and nothing at all when life just feels a little heavy.  And, it is EVERY SINGLE TIME someone says, "I am praying for you." 

Maybe you don't know every one of these people.  But, I do.  I know them ALL.  I have been the undeserving beneficiary of their encouragement.  But, I bet if you look around, you will find out that you know people who, in their own unique way, are a lot like the ones I know.  I am so grateful for them all.  Grateful and humbled.  Grateful because their encouragement has meant more than they know.  Humbled because I want to be like them.  What I have learned from watching them is that encouragers are givers.  They are more interested in building up someone else than they are in building up themselves.  They aren't people whose lives are easy, or uncomplicated, or who have nothing better to do.  Often, the complete opposite is true.  They are people, in the middle of their own struggles, their own busy lives, their own to-do list, who simply take a minute, or an hour, or a day, to lighten your load a bit or to do something special for you.  And, I am pretty sure, most of the time, they don't know how much it means.  They are simply just doing what they do.  And, being the recipient of so much of that, has made me want to do more. 

Because I want to do better and because I love a good story, I would love to hear yours.  I'm going to ask something of you that I have never asked before because I have never been "that" kind of blogger.  I'm not sure I am even an actual blogger.  :)  It's just mostly been the way we have been able to best share our adoption journey with those who want to follow along with us.  But, if you don't mind, would you just leave a short comment for me (either here, on Instagram, or Facebook) of a way that someone has encouraged YOU lately?  I would love to hear how the encouragers have been active in your life.  And, I am sure they have been, because they are EVERYWHERE.

This road has already been more than twice as long as we thought it would be when we started down this path, but I am honestly still grateful to be here.  I'm thankful to still be moving forward.  I'm thankful that God called us to walk this road, and that every day is one day closer to our little one.  Thank YOU for going with us on the journey!

~Stacy