2nd Hearing Thursday Night

Home from church and what a thrilling Sunday it is! Baptism Sundays are always amazing, but this was a very touching one since a dear friend 61 years of age was baptized. Also, several children, beaming with God' joy and demonstrating truths of child-like faith, were baptized. Our 5 year old son also was saved earlier this week. While not ready to be baptized, my heart was swelling with gratitude. Then we all got to praise and worship together. Pastor Daniel began his study of Ruth by introducing Naomi's desperate and impoverished situation- in need of a Redeemer. We closed by singing "Mighty To Save," which is one of my personal favorites and one that I've posted her for you before. It all made a for service that was hard to not leave dancing!

The entire morning, the fact that Hannah's hearing is this week was buzzing in my brain. What a difference a few weeks makes of God working on my heart to reveal a completely different person headed into this second hearing. Yes, I absolutely completely desire to have Hannah home and as soon as possible. But can I tell you that I am actually more excited over the knowledge that His ways are perfect? It's true!

During this very long journey, most of the time, I could confidently tell you that I knew God was in control. I accepted the fact that God is good. I knew that had to gel somehow and so I worked oh so hard to not fight or resent that things were not on my timetable, but His. I knew I was learning lessons and I listed those as silver linings to my very dark cloud.

Friends, if I am honest, I can only just now tell you that I am thankful for the path God chose on which to take us. I've heard others say, and now I can join them, that while it was a path I would never have chosen for my self, I would not erase a moment of it. He is using it to shape the woman, wife, mother that I am and am still becoming. I look at the person I was when we first started our adoption journey, and you couldn't pay me enough to return to that ugly, hard, joyless person.

So, I am headed into this week and Hannah's second hearing with joy, peace, and full confidence that whatever happens will be good. There is a song that everyone is playing these days. Wonderfully, it was sung in church this morning as well. I've never posted it because I wasn't to the point of being able to thank Him for the pain. I'm posting it for you today and I hope it ministers to you. And I hope you'll pray for us Thursday night during Hannah's hearing. Thank you!

Laura Story- Blessings
We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It's not our home

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise