The season of Advent has been an extra special time for me over the last few years. Focusing my thoughts and heart on Christ pushed away my fears and anxieties of this life as we enter into the holiday season. I think because we announced our adoption journey at Christmas that it became a marker of time for me. Each Christmas season that passed without news of a referral caused more and more sorrow. I love the Christmas season. The joy, excitement, giving, family time and traditions. But during our years of waiting (especially after we started with our agency in 2016) I found it was hard to find joy. I felt empty, lost, and full of longing. I knew I needed a heart change and a specific focus during this season. So I spent more and more time focusing on Advent and preparing my heart for Christ. Last Christmas, our boys had been home just under 2 months. Life was new and we were all thriving and surviving during the Advent season. A language barrier kept the boys from understand what it was all about. They loved the lights, decorations, laughter, and excitement, but they were not sure why we did any of it. This Christmas they understand that we are celebrating something. They love birthday parties so it only fitting we throw Jesus the biggest one. This Advent season I am blessed to walk through it with all four of my children. My heart is full and I can't express the gratitude I have to God for these gifts he has given me. Advent is a season of hope. Our faith in Christ was the only source of hope we had in our wait. I can't imagine facing any trial in this world without the hope of Christ. This is hope. A vision of a decimated forest where there seems no hope or life and then a shoot coming out of a stump. When the forest fell, Christ remained. Advent will always be a special time for me. A time when God allowed me to grow in my hurt. When God sheltered me under His wings and held me close. A time when I had to wait on God's yes, on God's timing. A time when he allowed me to understand on a deeper level what it is to wait on Him. His timing is perfect. His timing was perfect when the Israelites had waited for hundreds of years for His foretold birth, it was perfect when He said yes to our twin boys, and it will be perfect when he returns again. Our world is broken and unfair. It's hard to watch as corrupt power wins the day while righteous and humble people suffer. People, good people, suffer in this world. And we are called to have faith. To stand boldly. It's my job to stand at the watch post and proclaim God's glory. There is no easier time than Advent for me to share our story and God's glory. God is faithful and He's promises are yes and amen. This morning as I watched our boys hang ornaments on our Advent tree and as we talked more about Advent my heart soared with God's love for us. As we discussed Advent our boys connected it to waiting and wholeheartedly shared that waiting is hard because they had wait a long time for us. My heart both ached and sang praises as they talked about being in someone else's belly then having to wait so, so, so long for Papa and Mama to arrive. God has prepared them for Advent too. I continue to be in awe of this part I get to play in His story. This Advent season we will journey together as a family to the nativity. We will set apart time to focus on Him. We will continue to praise God for all that He is to us and you!
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AuthorMy name is Deidra Miller. I have been married to my wonderful husband, Dusty, for 17 years. We have two biological children and our family is growing again. We prayed for 2,786 days and God answered our prayers. More days (almost 4 years) have been added as we wait for God's perfect plan for our family. We can't wait to meet our beautiful twin boys! Archives
October 2022
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