while i'm waiting

This morning I got in contact with the social worker who was in charge of our foster parenting classes.  I let her know through email that we are back in town and are officially able to take a placement at anytime.  I feel like God has me in a funny place.  I am preparing for this foster parenting journey to start way out in the distance.  We are choosing to live our lives as normal without dwelling too much on when it is going to happen.  The guest bed is still in the extra bedroom that is meant for the next addition to our family.  But there is also this quaking feeling that the phone could ring at any minute and our lives will be forever changed for the better.  How do you simultaneously wait with both anticipation and patience?  

I have often prayed through this song for two families that are going through very different experiences in life.  Suddenly the lyrics apply to me too.  What am I going to do while I am waiting?  And how long before I get antsy that the call on my life isn't happening fast enough?  No we are not waiting to conceive a child or enter the mission field, but the promise is still there.  And I feel a bit like Abraham believing God and yet having to have faith that His "when" is the perfect plan for me. 


We have done our part.  We have obediently followed him this far and now he is asking us to wait.  I know it is for good reason.  You see, we don't just want any child to fulfill our impatience.  We want the child that God choose to join our family (even if it just for a brief while) before the beginning of time.  To think he knew long before my first breath that he would use our family for his glory is overwhelming.  Why would I not choose to trust him?


We know nothing in particular has to happen first before we welcome a foster child in our home.  We don't have to have a house that is better organized.  We don't have to be more financially stable.  We don't even have to get through My Love's job transition first.  All we have to do is trust God fully and wait patiently with anticipation knowing that his plan is perfect and complete.