There are dates I won’t ever forget. 

May 1, 2011. As a family of four we sat around our kitchen table, held hands and prayed over our application to adopt from Haiti. We had been told it was a two year process and we couldn’t wait to begin this journey God had called us as a family to embark on. 

That two year process… was actually six years. Six years of waiting. Anger. Frustration. Waiting. Crying out to God. Hope. Disappointment. Longing. And more waiting. And through it all God was so faithful. 

I look back now, and I can see God’s hand on the details. 

January 14, 2014. I was frustrated at the deafening silence from Haiti. I was shopping with girlfriends and saw an art print that spoke to me and bought it for our future child. The first concrete thing I purchased for them – moving from an idea of a new family member someday, to allowing myself to trust and to believe it would in fact happen. I prayed that day with a renewed sense of hope and trust in God’s plan. Little did I know, that on that very same day where I felt God calling me to trust Him and hope in His timing… my future daughter was born. 

July 27, 2016. This was the first day I ever saw a photo of my new daughter.  At first we received only a photo and a name as we waited for the rest of the information to be translated into English. We didn’t know her age yet or anything about her. But we read the name “Abigaïlle” and saw her sweet face and our hearts leaped. We had named our two older daughters based on the meaning of their names and so my husband quickly searched for what Abby’s name meant. “Giver of joy. My Father rejoices.” No better name could be chosen for this littlest joy giver. 

July 19, 2017. Our daughter, Abigaïlle was finally home! 

Six years of tears, of yelling at God, of grieving children needing families, of learning and preparing, of anger, joy, hope and broken dreams. Six years of God’s incredible faithfulness whispering “I got this”. Of a Father who asked us to follow Him on an incredible adventure – holding out His hand and guiding us step by step. The path was hard – really, really hard –  but where He was leading us to was worth every bump, bruise and scrape.  

Today, God may not be calling you to international adoption – but He may be calling you to take His hand and trust His leading.

The path ahead might be long – VERY long – and difficult.

But we can move ahead a step at a time knowing that He is always in control

{For more on Krista Jefferson, click here.}