Working to be "Ready"

            So, as of Friday, we are definitely planning to go to China on August 6. But the details aren't finalized - no final approvals, no visa appointments, no hotel reservations, no airplane tickets yet. B and I have had many conversations about how quickly this is happening and how unprepared we feel. And then we laugh at ourselves, since we had just about a week to get ready after the earthquake in Haiti when S came home. We got "bad" news Friday again - after one of the approvals on Monday, the current one was supposed to take "2-4 days" - and on day 5 we still didn't have it. The agency is still saying we'll go in August, but the time remaining for the outstanding tasks is getting rather narrow.  And as I read the news (of no final approval yet) I felt sad and heavy. 

           Then, as I was taping off another room Friday night so we could paint it Saturday, I was listening to a sermon from John Piper, (fantastic sermon series on "The Pleasures of God" from 1987) I was reminded that our God was the same One who made stars! and invented kangaroos! and created kidneys and pollen and waterfalls and fingernails! He has completely got all the details of everything for this adoption under control.

            And of course, not just the details of the adoption paperwork, but the details of our foreign travel, and even of Ca's adjustment home. And I feel blessed and confident and safe in my heavenly Father's hands.

P.S. with help from our fabulous & helpful kids, we got the room completely painted, put back together, and furniture moved into in the new "kids' office" before bed on Saturday night!