I'm a planner. I always have 30 or so "next steps" in my head.
For example:
-At the end of the month, we are visiting Vietnam
-Then Thailand
-Then back to Chennai
-Then to Delhi to see Vickie & Anurag. . . and bargain in broken Hindi for sarees at Sarojini
-Then back to Chennai
-Then to the US in January
-Apply for renewal of greencard & my new Indian visa status
-Work a travel OT job approximately Jan-April
-Receive green card & Indian visa
-Head immediately back to Chennai
-Apply for adoption in India (Finally!)
-Buy all the little girl things because Liban finally might let me
-Wait on the emotional roller coaster until we receive specifics
-Go meet little girl and be a teary mess
-Bring little girl home and Skype everyone
It's bad, I know.
Liban's the total opposite and my planning or "dreaming" often just makes him (lovingly) roll his eyes. But I can't help it. I took a Strengths test in college, and "futuristic thinking" is essentially my number one strength. It's great: I always have dreams and goals and strive to achieve them. But just because I've stared at maps and planned 29 tentative backpacking trips around Europe doesn't mean I expect all of them to come true. God's been gracious enough to give me the gift of adapting these dreams and goals based on circumstances, and that allows me to be functional!
Why do I tell you all of this? Well, ever since we planned to come to India, there was basically only the unknown, and sometimes that is tough. We prayed God would close the doors to the finances, the timing, to Chennai, to housing, etc. if us coming here was not in His Will. But no doors seemed to close. Yes, the summer was chaotic: moving out of our duplex, understaffing at work, my wreck, car shopping due to said wreck, other car struggling to survive, family health issues, and my grandpa passing away. At one point in the midst of all that, I wondered if God was saying "no."
But He provided a rental until He provided a reliable, affordable car at a lot. He provided a buyer for Liban's non-highway-driveable car 45 minutes after it was posted on Craigslist. God arranged every piece to fall into place so that we could move into our (huge) apartment the day we landed in Chennai, which was the day after he moved out. And on top of all that, the day I realized our Korea/Japan trip was going to be significantly more than we'd budgeted for, I got the email from the insurance company quoting more than I expected to receive. (Thanks for all the sushi, Farm Bureau! I still wish I could carry a backpack without my cartilage popping in and out, but I'll take what I can get.)
He's been good, and He will continue to be good. He's had a plan and He knows the future. So, I just ask that you pray with us as we wait to learn our next steps in His timing.
-Discernment in our current job hunting for those few months in the US
-Wisdom and clarity in whatever-Liban-is-supposed-to-do-work-wise when we return to India
-Learning Tamil, and patience while doing so
-Discernment in partnering with ministries (or not?) as an OT? English tutor?
-Speed and peace within the green card/visa processes
-Favor and smooth sailing within everything adoption-related
-My "grandma" Barb as she is battling cancer & everyone else as they are hurting during this time
For example:
-At the end of the month, we are visiting Vietnam
-Then Thailand
-Then back to Chennai
-Then to Delhi to see Vickie & Anurag. . . and bargain in broken Hindi for sarees at Sarojini
-Then back to Chennai
-Then to the US in January
-Apply for renewal of greencard & my new Indian visa status
-Work a travel OT job approximately Jan-April
-Receive green card & Indian visa
-Head immediately back to Chennai
-Apply for adoption in India (Finally!)
-Buy all the little girl things because Liban finally might let me
-Wait on the emotional roller coaster until we receive specifics
-Go meet little girl and be a teary mess
-Bring little girl home and Skype everyone
It's bad, I know.
Liban's the total opposite and my planning or "dreaming" often just makes him (lovingly) roll his eyes. But I can't help it. I took a Strengths test in college, and "futuristic thinking" is essentially my number one strength. It's great: I always have dreams and goals and strive to achieve them. But just because I've stared at maps and planned 29 tentative backpacking trips around Europe doesn't mean I expect all of them to come true. God's been gracious enough to give me the gift of adapting these dreams and goals based on circumstances, and that allows me to be functional!
Why do I tell you all of this? Well, ever since we planned to come to India, there was basically only the unknown, and sometimes that is tough. We prayed God would close the doors to the finances, the timing, to Chennai, to housing, etc. if us coming here was not in His Will. But no doors seemed to close. Yes, the summer was chaotic: moving out of our duplex, understaffing at work, my wreck, car shopping due to said wreck, other car struggling to survive, family health issues, and my grandpa passing away. At one point in the midst of all that, I wondered if God was saying "no."
But He provided a rental until He provided a reliable, affordable car at a lot. He provided a buyer for Liban's non-highway-driveable car 45 minutes after it was posted on Craigslist. God arranged every piece to fall into place so that we could move into our (huge) apartment the day we landed in Chennai, which was the day after he moved out. And on top of all that, the day I realized our Korea/Japan trip was going to be significantly more than we'd budgeted for, I got the email from the insurance company quoting more than I expected to receive. (Thanks for all the sushi, Farm Bureau! I still wish I could carry a backpack without my cartilage popping in and out, but I'll take what I can get.)
He's been good, and He will continue to be good. He's had a plan and He knows the future. So, I just ask that you pray with us as we wait to learn our next steps in His timing.
-Discernment in our current job hunting for those few months in the US
-Wisdom and clarity in whatever-Liban-is-supposed-to-do-work-wise when we return to India
-Learning Tamil, and patience while doing so
-Discernment in partnering with ministries (or not?) as an OT? English tutor?
-Speed and peace within the green card/visa processes
-Favor and smooth sailing within everything adoption-related
-My "grandma" Barb as she is battling cancer & everyone else as they are hurting during this time
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