I am
very aware that this passage is talking about the Christian’s readiness for the
second coming of Christ, but I see a lot of parallels between this and our
adoption. In just the first verse, we are reminded that “you do not know when
the appointed time will come”. Adoptions work completely to the opposite of
pregnancies in this regard. With a pregnancy, you are given a “due date”—in my
case more of a rough estimate—and you can begin planning with that date in
mind. With an adoption, you are basically waiting on papers to be pushed,
agencies to coordinate, the stars and planets to align, etc. There is no “due
date” given. It’s really just wait for the phone call. That wait can be the
most frustrating, heart-wrenching thing you do.
We are
also reminded FOUR times in this passage to “be on (keep on, stay on) the alert.”
Continuing my poor analogy, this means for me that Trey and I must learn all we
can about international adoptions, make needed changes to our home (see the
previous blog), get copious amounts of paperwork pulled together, and pray like
crazy. We can never just sit back and wait for the phone call. We must be busy
every day preparing for the additions to our family. To refrain from doing so demonstrates
a carelessness so tragic, so selfish, that I haven’t the words to express it.
So no
matter how frustrating and heart-wrenching the wait becomes, we press forward.
We continue to prepare our home and our hearts. We find things to do in the
expectation that the call WILL come, even though we don’t know when. And I am
reminded that I must also do the same as I wait for Christ’s return.
