I want to remember this day.

{I know it has been forever since I have blogged.  Hopefully, I will catch up sometime soon}

I want to remember what has happened.

So that later when I question and doubt,

I can remember this day.

We got good news today!!

Maddox is ours!!!

Ours!

We got our final decree!!

Let me backtrack a little.

Our court hearing was September 26th.

Then we got our first decree just 8 days later on October 4th.

Wow!  God was making things happen quickly for us!

The judge we have has previously done things quickly.

But 8 days was fast--even for him!

So we just knew God was working on our behalf.

So I counted out the days that were "typical" for this judge

to take to issue the final decree.

11-13 days.

And he had issued the first decree faster than usual!

Maybe he would issue the final faster than usual too!

So, on my birthday {October 16}, I just KNEW it was coming.

But it didn't.

So we waited some more.

According to my calculations, it should come the day after my birthday.

It didn't.

We moped around and waited some more.

Finally, last week, I decided to fast and pray.

I did that for 3 days {Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday}.

On Wednesday night we went to church.

Jason and I were at the end of our ropes.

It was taking SO much longer than we had thought it would.

The next day was Jason's birthday.

I had thought that we would be in Taiwan by then

and that Jason would be holding his son on his birthday.

So, anyway, after church Wednesday night,

we all gathered around in a prayer circle and prayed.

We all begged God to remove whatever obstacles there were

that were preventing Max from coming home.

I cried--overcome by the long wait

and the love that everyone had for our son

that none of us have even met yet!

We woke up the next morning fully expecting

to finally have our final decree.

But we didn't.

It didn't come.

The doubts crept in.

It seemed like God didn't hear.

Like He wasn't listening.

Then, today we got it.

Our final decree finally came.

It was dated October 25.

Taiwan is 13 hours ahead of us.

When we were praying on Wednesday night,

the judge was signing Max's final decree.

God did hear.

He does listen.

I want to remember this--

--this sign from God that He was making things happen for us

so that we can bring our son home.

And when I need to

{probably often},

I will come back and read this post.

God listens.

He cares.

He sees the big picture

while I see everything from my tiny limited view.

God, please help me to remember.

Please help me to KNOW that you are good all the time.

That you love me SO much that you will withhold nothing good from me.

After all, you gave your only Son for me.

-------------------------

Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer

or withdraw his unfailing love from me.

Psalm 66:20

We should always pray and never give up.

Luke 18:1

And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.

Luke 11:9

The Lord will withhold no good thing
    from those who do what is right.

Psalm 84:11