I think the hardest part of adoption is learning patience. AJ has walked an incredible journey I asked her to share more of their story with us today!
"What we have gained on this journey thus far has been nothing short of AMAZING! There have been many bumps and even total heart ache (when we were matched and our adopted baby to be, Liv, died at birth), but the desire to adopt has never been stronger than it is now! I always say God is the master of hitting three birds with one stone. He takes us on a journey that is completely stretching and then we choose to obey Him, but that is just the beginning. We have learned things that we knew with our heads, but now feel that it is a true heart knowledge. When we lost our little Liv, although very hard and incredibly sad, we had a peace and knew that Liv was not our daughter just as our biological kids are not our own. They are on loan to us so that we raise them to know Jesus. God has that right to cut out the middle man and bring her straight into his arms. Her name means life and she started hers in eternity...I think it's quite fitting. We will hold her when we meet her with our Father. We really felt that God used Liv, in order to minister and be there for this 16 yr. old birth mother who had no support at all and endured abuse during the pregnancy. This mother was our first adoption. We have seen just a glimpse of the real life stories that are out there and in experiencing all of this, the Lord has also shared a bit of his heart for them, with us. Oh how he loves them and oh how he longs for the fatherless to be loved on and to know him. We are responsible. We have learned that when one is called to adopt that we need to walk in obedience and accept the call and allow God to make the rescue. We need to know that it may not be the child we expected, but He knows exactly what child we are to have and he will bring that child to us. The Lords timing is perfect and better than ours! How foolish we can be when our patients runs thin and we try to work it out ourselves. Micah and I have many reasons and excuses to justify paving our own way, but God is a beautiful Father who's word never returns void. I stand on 1 John 5:14&15 "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us- whatever we ask- we know that we have what we have asked for." We know that adoption is his will for us and therefore he is hearing our prayers and he WILL answer them. His timing is perfect! We are so excited to meet the child that God has for us and are so thankful that God has called us to adopt. We feel blessed that he has shared his heart with us in this area. He is our father and always wants what is best for all His children. This doesn't always mean that the road is going to be easy and straight, but the reward at the end is magnificent!!"
We pray for grace in the weeks, months or years to come...only God knows when more children will be added to this lovely family!