Joy Casey asked me if I would share some of my thoughts while we wait to bring home a little girl in Ethiopia. My goal is to encourage other families who are waiting for their children to come home. God has given us an incredible peace as we wait that most definitely passes understanding.
Before I jump in, if anyone reading this is just really roughing it emotionally, I have genuine compassion for you. Our first adoption nearly tore my heart out, because I had a Mama heart and nobody little to love on. Now our son has been home for over 3 years, and is a delight. As I share what God has been showing me during our current waiting process, please know I totally validate anyone who is broken and undone. My prayer is that God will bring great peace, comfort and rest to your souls.
Currently, our 2 year-old’s paperwork is stuck waiting for a signature from MoWA, and it has been like that since Thanksgiving of last year. Her orphanage ran out of food in March, and our friends have been faithfully feeding everyone in that orphanage since. When we look directly and only at the factual negative circumstances, we can definitely become shaky and fearful. But the Lord has reminded us to fix our eyes on Him.
We totally trust the Lord in all he is doing. I sense much greater purposes than any of us can imagine in all that’s going on. We only see in part. Of course we deeply want our family united, but we believe God must be doing something we cannot even fathom in this wait. When Moses’ mother put him in a basket in the Nile and had Miriam keep watch, could she have ever imagined the future God had in store for her son and the much bigger plan God had, which Moses fit into? Of course as waiting parents, WE WANT OUR BABIES HOME. And so we should. The loss of time together is real, and something to grieve. At the same time, I somehow strangely feel that God is going to do more than bring our kids home. In January of this year, he showed me a vision of two angels in simple white clothes stacking sand bags. I wondered what that meant, and the Lord said, “They’re preparing for the breakthrough.” Wow. I still haven’t seen it 8 months later, but God is not a man that he should lie.
The most recent Bible passage on my mind is of Pharaoh, and how he resisted letting God’s people go so fiercely, but in the end, the Lord had tremendous victory. The reality of the spiritual realm is making the less-than-favorable situational circumstances fade somehow. I think of Mary & Joseph—inconveniently on a road trip while pregnant, but about to shake the history of the world—then fleeing to Egypt, but having the provisions of the wise men’s gifts to meet their needs. God does big things in common and even inconvenient circumstances. This is so real to me right now. Don’t get me wrong… I long for this process to move forward, but the peace of God is on me. I know this is all in his hands. God spoke to my heart, “I will bring her.” That word I can trust.
Over the many months of waiting, God has brought to mind several Biblical references of how he worked out His purposes despite apparent setbacks, unfairness, unjust leaders, literal blockades (Red Sea, jail, etc.) and things that seemed to be ill-timed. He is faithful and trustworthy. I pray we can all celebrate and rejoice soon, with the literal homecoming of our children. Until then, may we watch and wait with expectation, cast our cares on Him, and persevere through intercession. The Bible says the persistent widow got justice, not because the judge cared or was fair, but because of her constant coming. Let us be that way in prayer.
Submitted with humility and compassion for all who ache for their babies to be home…
Katja Starkey
Katja and her husband Jonathan brought their son Gadisa home from Ethiopia in July 2011.
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