Dolly Mama Strikes Again!

Hi again,

Just a little update today. Thanks to those of you that have been praying along with us.

The other day I received lists of documents needed and questions to answer for a home study. Never before have I felt so inadequate as a parent! (except for possibly when I was under a pile of babies a few years ago....) These are good questions to be getting asked, but it is quite humbling.

Honestly, after looking at the list of stuff, I'm amazed that anyone ever adopts at all.

We have received some important additional information about one of the possibilities we were looking into that was quite negative. I'm not sure if that's a totally closed door, but it's at least a flashing red light! The thing about what I heard that distressed me more than even the immediate bad thing about it, was that I assume that the people who ended up in a bad situation were probably some nice Christian families just like us that had their hearts in the right place, prayed, had all sorts of stuff fall into place in order for it to even be possible to adopt....and then it all blows up in their face. Where is God in all of that? I don't know. But it scares the SNOT out of me to think that you could somehow jump all the MANY hurdles in an adoption, and end up in a bad, bad, bad situation. Kind of blows that whole if-the-doors-open-it-must-be-God's-will theory right out of the water....

So, you know...plenty to percolate upon.

I did come across an interesting verse that instructs people to help widows and orphans within their gates. So I'm wondering if that specification is important at all....and who counts as being "within my gates." I don't have any widows or orphans at my house, but certainly I do have those people in my own community and at my own church. Just thinking, thinking, thinking.....