Slow For A Reason

Can you believe that over 15 months home with Dominick, we are still wrapping up pieces of his adoption? 

For starters his new birth certificate got delayed, so we just got it a week ago. His name can’t be updated anywhere without that. Then completely overlooking the fact his new birth certificate claims it does not prove his citizenship (like it literally says it on his certificate), I thought it’d be fun to sit in a social security office for 45 minutes so they could point out to me that they can’t change his citizenship with social security based on his birth certificate alone. That was fun. Ok, step back into adoption gear, focus Rachel - next step, apply for his certificate of citizenship. Open up the application, 15 pages with a final page declaring this simple certificate will cost you over a $1,000. Ooof, knew it was coming, but still, a rough one when you’ve been out of the adoption grove for a little bit. Ok, filling it out, black or blue ink, no mess ups. And now….wait. 

Seems crazy we still are in the rush then wait mode. However, God opened my eyes to a few things this last month showing me perhaps God’s hand in all of it, and His reason to what seems to me, delay. 

Maybe slow is what’s best for Dominick. Maybe slow is what’s best for us. Maybe slow is what gives Him most glory!

Several nights ago, we were in our overcrowded super busy BMV branch. Waiting in a very government type institution with few smiling faces. Dominick has done just fine in these situations like at a doctors office with a small toy and a snack. However, half way through waiting he completely flipped out over something negligible. It resulted in the highest pitched scream that was a regular in Thailand for us. I took him outside to address it. It was single digit temperature. Now, although we had our jackets on, it was still freezing. He hates the cold unless we are playing in snow. He at that moment chose to stay outside in that environment instead of apologizing and going back inside. Could it of been anything? Sure. But it hit me as we drove home, me extremely frustrated with his obscure actions, could it of been an adoption trigger for him? I think so. It sure felt like the adoption center in Thailand, or an airport, or the US embassy in Thailand - each one he had an extremely difficult time at!  Photos of government up on the walls. Seats in rows. He hasn’t been in any place like that since Thailand. 

This is one example, and I certainly could give more like his uncomfortability when someone speaks Thai to him, or how even this Christmas he does not like when Jason or I give affection to another child like one of his cousins. He feels threatened by it. 15 months home, in various situations his story is fresh to him again, so he needs us to go slow with him. And let’s be honest, Jason and I as a couple take things slow anyways, like making decisions. 

So, as we are still not done yet in our adoption process, we can see how good it is that Dominick came to us through this program, his country and this time and to a couple that’s ok to take it slow. 

Slow means we can take time to reflect on each and every part to see the role a sovereign God has played in it!