Wow... Referral day finally arrived... September 19, 2012

On September 22, 2006, Living Hope Adoption Agency submitted our packet to China, with the estimate that we would receive our referral in around nine months. With each passing month, the anticipated wait grew longer and longer. Well, you all know the story... In May, 2008, we decided to apply for the special needs list, and, on March 23, 2009, we held Ellie-Kate in our arms for the first time. Thank God that He led us to the special needs list and to our precious baby girl!!!

Today, September 19, 2012, the other seven families in that original cohort finally received their referrals-- nearly six years to the day that we submitted our packets to China. I feel so much for them... for their wait... for their patience... for their faith... Yet, I cannot even imagine our lives without Ellie-Kate for the past three and a half years. To think that we never would have met her if we had not made that decision to go special needs. Praise God for *always* being in control and for bringing exactly the right addition to our family!!

For a few moments, I allowed my mind to drift... If today had been referral day for us, this new baby would have never bonded with Chelsea, given that she's away at college... she would have missed three trips to Disney... she would have missed the last three years at the fair... Perhaps most importantly, she never would have met Great-Grandma Groscost or Uncle Wade or known of Aunt Marilyn. All three of them passed away in this year-- 2012. If today had been referral day, that new baby would have entered our home and hearts, but she would have missed out on these three important people and on all of the life events over the past few years. No pictures with Chelsea at her graduation... No walking with Great-Grandma's walker... No basketball at Chuckie Cheese with Uncle Wade...

Lord God, I praise you for your control of all things! I praise you for nudging us to the special needs list! I give you all of the glory for guiding us to those precious, big brown eyes in that long-ago photo. "Kristen" (Ellie-Kate's name on the special needs list) had haunting, huge eyes that lingered in my mind even after I turned off the computer and drifted to sleep. Yes, she had such a long list of special needs-- far beyond what we had ever agreed to pursue. Yet, those eyes penetrated my mind and prompted me to return to the website again and again... Praise God for Jenn and Dan and their encouragement after trick-or-treating!! Praise God for the team at the International Adoption Clinic for their realistic yet positive assessment of her file!! Praise God for keeping OUR baby available when we took awhile to grasp that Ellie-Kate was ordained to be our daughter!!

I am so grateful to hear this news today. I am so grateful for the other families. I can't even fathom their journeys, and I'm so glad that their end is now in sight. However, selfishly, I am eternally grateful for the gift of Ellie-Kate and for the gentle, persistent nudging of the Holy Spirit about adoption, in general, and about the special needs list and then about Ellie-Kate. He truly guided us to our little girl. We cannot ignore His role in our journey and His mercy in putting Ellie-Kate in our home.

Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers! We're grateful to be a family for Ellie-Kate!!

Christie