keeping on keeping on

We just keep on keeping on.

What else can we do? I am not a quitter. I'm stubborn and persistant.
We don't look at all the road blocks as "signs" that we shouldn't be doing what we are doing.

We look at them as learning tools. Perfect practice to learn patience in the most literal sense of the word. Perfect time to really understand difficulties. Perfect time to learn how to deal with unpleasant situations. Perfect time to learn how to deal with things that you can't change.

After all, we are about to bring a foster child into our home to adopt. We will have many difficult days ahead. Maybe more bad than good. We had better be ready.

So, if we had a breeze of a time during the whole process, we would be in for a shock when we hit the first obstacle. It would all be too much, and we wouldn't be able to handle it.

It's readiness.  It's offense.  It's smart.

Anyone who trains for a marathon sure isn't going to get their muscles in shape by sitting on the couch watching sponge bob square pants. You know the episode. The one were he can't even lift a straw that has two cups of pop on each end, nor even teddy bears.

There are those who sign up for marathons to look cool. They buy expensive name brand gear, and talk about it with everyone they know. But, if they don't train for the run by actually getting out there and hitting the pavement, they are doomed. Doomed to fail.

I am not really interested in buying the name brand stuff.  Nor am I interested in just adopting to look cool. My deepest desire has always been to help at least one child get out of the foster system and show them consistent, genuine love.

So, when hurdles come during our journey to adoption (and there have been many) I look at them as just another training session. I try and learn everything I can, about the lesson to be learned, in that situation. I keep moving forward. I don't give up.

For those who worry that maybe it isn't meant to be if you have to fight for it, I can only say that I have laid it before the Lord many times. I say, Please God, if this isn't meant to be, then shut the doors on this. And for some of the ones we had initially sent our homestudies on, those doors did close.

He keeps opening them for us with Lovelygirl. Maybe the road isn't smooth as glass, and worry free. But, in our eyes, she is worth every struggle. He knows this. He sees our hearts. He has promised. He will fullfill.

keeping on keeping on