I keep saying that I’m going to do better on blogging but there’s this little thing called life that gets in the way. :) For real this time, I have a legitimate reason: we have a daughter! This adoption has been CRAZY but FULL of God moments that only He could write. She was born on 3/16 and is just everything that little girls are made of- when I can share more details, and pictures, I will. I’m sleep deprived (in such a good way!) but hopefully my post will make sense.
I have always loved spring. At my house, spring means that a lot of growth is happening. The garden is already producing (lots of salads in our summer!), the roses are blooming and the air is just fresh. The reason for all of this growth is that winter is over and spring is here. It may appear that nothing was happening during winter but the truth is, a lot of growth was happening underneath the surface of the sometimes frozen (in the South!) dirt.
Psalm 84 is one of my favorite passages. Psalm 84: 5-7 has been a passage that I clung to during my single years, infertility and in pretty much every season of waiting. “Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs, the autumn rains also cover it with pools. They go from strength to strength until each appears before Zion.” Psalm 84: 5-7 (NIV)
Life is a journey, a pilgrimage that leads us to seeking the Lord, growing in Him. As we travel the journey, our hearts are purposed on Him. There will be tough times and bumpy roads. Baca means weeping and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve cried out to the Lord during hard seasons of life and waiting. Verse 6 says “that they make it a place of springs.” Nothing can grow without water. Gardens grow because of intentional watering but also because of rain. Lots of it. The rain saturates the ground so that the plants will grow. Much like our tears saturate our hearts as we pray and cry out to God. As we wait, our strength grows and roots of faith grow deeper and deeper. When spring finally comes and the rain stops, we are able to fully bloom because we are planted deep in Him.
The past 2 years of this adoption have been a huge season of growth. There were a LOT of tears, a lot of questioning, a lot of bumpy and unknown roads. There was a time at the hospital where things felt like they were falling apart as quickly as they had come together. I remember sitting in the social worker’s office and I fell apart- the room was spinning and I literally felt like everything was about to fall and shatter to a million pieces. All I could do was put my face into hands, breathe deeply and then just cry out to God for Him to meet me in that moment, to do only what He could do. Those roots of faith had grown deep and now they were giving me life. There was such comfort knowing that whatever happened, He was right there with me.
Just because this season is over, it doesn’t mean that winter isn’t coming again. However, my roots are planted and my heart is ready come spring.