Just in time....

to go to China! God is absolutely in control. The events leading up to today have surely been enough to see God's amazing hand in this journey, but in His kindness, He reminded me again today of His love and care for me, and of His sovereignty! Enjoy:

For a few weeks now, we've been actively pursuing an updated document that we realized was incomplete. You see, when someone adopts a special needs child, an addendum to the original home study must be completed, stating the child's Chinese name and her special need. This addendum must be taken to China along with a few other official documents. Being affiliated with a highly respected agency, we were given a checklist back in that travel packet (TP2) for which we waited so long, but received just before my birthday in October. Needing something to DO to pass the wait, I gathered documents. I remembered that the addendum had been done twice, because the first one had Emmy's Chinese name spelled incorrectly. However, the new one was not signed and notarized. It had escaped my notice back in May or June when we first received it. I knew it should've been.

So I called our agency and spoke with the director, who immediately jumped on it! She contacted our social worker. It was being taken care of....I rested in that. Then we went to Tallahassee for Ladybug's cross country meet and the Elf's soccer game...then to Tampa for State championships with cross country, and Ruskin for Thanksgiving...and Tallahassee for Thanksgiving...and finally back home! Needless to say, the document was far from my mind. Until, that is, when we got that all important TA (travel approval). I called again and checked up on it (a few times). Last week I was told it was being mailed....and should have it Friday. Today, it had still not arrived. But I kept reminding myself that God is sovereign over official documents and mail and Civil Affairs offices in China...well, you get the picture!

So, to make a LONG story short (so it's already long!) I called MANY folks today. The agency here in FL (director was out sick), the agency in CO (it couldn't hurt to have other folks help out!), my social worker at home (left a message)....and I prayed. This is how our awesome God worked it out:

I heard back from the agency (FL) and got the cell phone number of the (very sweet) social worker, who was about to board a plane in Orlando. She called her husband, who was taking that very document to the post office to mail today ("It should be there in two days!")
"I'll be on a plane to China in two days!....Can you call him back to ask him NOT to send it?"
"Oh, yeah! I could have him overnight it....it *should* get there tomorrow."
"Hmmm..." I say aloud. "Can he give it to my mom? She now lives there in Tallahassee. Surely she could meet your husband in town, get the document, start driving this way and I could drive THAT way, and we'd meet up....and then I'd KNOW we'd have it to take to China!"

So that's what we did...except Jim did the driving toward Tallahassee and my mom (who just "happened" to move back to Tallahassee a few months ago) drove toward him. They made the exchange. YEAH!

I don't believe in coincidence; I know this was Providence! Thank God with me.

His Steadfast Love Endures Forever

A Psalm for giving thanks.

100:1 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
2 Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!

3 Know that the Lord, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!

5 For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.