One Week Closer

A few days ago, on Friday evening, after another week had passed by without a referral, I felt a little down.  I'd started the week so pumped, thinking that the call would happen any second.  My gut was so clear in anticipating a referral for either last week or this week - but privately, of course, I'd hoped that it would be last week.  But I guess one's heart can only hang onto hope of that intensity for a finite period of time before giving way to something a little more bearable.  I noticed that by the time Friday morning hit, I was no longer lugging the phone from room to room, and I was back to answering its ring without my heart leaping into my throat every time.  It's a little easier this way - at least I can go about my day without losing my marbles!  And after all, as one kind friend said in an email, I may as well get on with things because the call would happen when I least expected it - such as when I was sitting on the potty, she added!  OK, I hope that I don't get the call in that kind of moment - what kind of story would that be to tell.

Towards bedtime yesterday, I started to think a little more hopefully again - call me PollyAnna, or whatever, but here's what I'm thinking:

• We are now one week closer to our referral.  YAY!

• There is no doubt in my mind that there is now a little one who has been identified as waiting for a new family...our family.  That is more progress than we have experienced in any of the previous twenty-seven months of the journey to this point.  I need to rest secure in this knowledge.  There are people actively working on our behalf over in Ethiopia right now. 

• Our little beloved, who has now experienced the irrevocable trauma of separation from his birth family - a travesty that no child (or parent) should have to go through - doesn't know yet that there are other, additional people now who are waiting for him and who already love him unconditionally, and who pray many times a day that he (and his bio family) will experience comfort and assurance beyond his comprehension.

• Our referral may just happen this week!