679 A Divine Delay

If you are frustrated with the current speed of progress, this is for you. If you are being delayed and don’t understand why, this is for you. If you are disappointed with God’s answer to your prayers, this is for you. Today, I will share a story with you. It’s a personal story of a little girl with a hard childhood. A little girl abandoned on the streets of Mexico and taken to an orphanage at 5 years old. She had sad eyes and an angry heart, and rightfully so. We met Alexa just a few days after she arrived at the Mexican orphanage where we volunteered. She and her little sister Paola began filling my dreams, and in my dreams they were my daughters. After a little wheeling and dealing with my husband, who was terrified of being a Daddy to little girls, we started the process of adopting the girls. Now in my head if you’re doing the right thing, the way should be easy. Right? If you’re in the will of God, he goes before you, pre-opens all the doors, smooths the path, aligns the details and you’re good to go. Right? Easy peasy, step right up and claim your prize. Isn’t that the way it is in your head as well? If you’re doing it right, it will work. If it doesn’t work, then you’re clearly doing something wrong. I was wrong. And if you believe following God’s will for your life will always be a bed of roses with sunshine and butterflies, my friend you are going to be sorely disappointed. But here’s what I know, nothing is wasted. Not a single hardship or struggle goes unused. All things do work together for those who love God and are seeking his will. So, we begin the process of adopting the girls. 9 months later we receive the green light to finally cross the border and bring them home. It was an exciting day! The house was a perfect palace awaiting it’s princesses. The barbies were all in a row. New clothes with tags filled the closets. Freshly painted purple walls and a tea party for 3 was waiting. This mama was finally getting her little girls. We load the girls up in the car, we drive to the border, and they say no. No, you may not bring these 2 innocent little girls with no family into the US. No you may not give them a home. No you may not call them your own. Turn the car around and return them to the orphanage. Alexa began hyperventilating. Paola sat with her head hung, tears flowing down her chubby little cheeks. Our attorney had not done her job. I returned to our home and slept in their brand new bed by myself. No was not in my plans, but it was in God’s. Have you ever had good plans fall apart? Have you ever been royally disappointed with God’s failure to show up? Have you ever been angry with God? That’s where I was. But here’s what I didn’t know. Alexa was turning 6 years old one week later. Every night when she would go to bed she would pray and ask God to bring her a family for her birthday. Faithfully she would ask again and again. Please give me a family for my birthday. But this day, the day we were turned away and had to return the girls, was one week before her birthday. On the morning of her birthday we received the call that the papers were complete, we could go pick up our girls and bring them home. Alexa received her birthday wish. She got her family. And she got her family ON HER BIRTHDAY. This was just a great big, loving God being faithful. And I was a bratty mom throwing a fit the week before because I didn’t understand what he was doing. We had witnessed a DIVINE DELAY. Maybe you’re currently experiencing a divine delay as well, but in the middle of it all, it just looks like a senseless and frustrating NO again. God’s ways are not our ways. We may not understand what he is doing. We may not understand why our good plans with good intentions get shut down.