Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted.
Unless the Lord protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good.
It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones. – Psalm 127:1&2
The Lord’s mighty hand is upon this adoption. He directed the Dingle’s hearts towards a beautiful, baby girl, abandoned even before birth in Taitung, Taiwan. The Lord directed them to Zoe. It was not by human efforts that they found their daughter. They did not search night and day for the “right one”. They simply opened their hearts to God’s unpredictable leading, followed a call to “take care of orphans”, and 5 1/2 months later found themselves holding a new piece of their heart in a small, Taiwanese hospital. Although this was not a normal “gotcha day,” it was all part of the story that God has been writing since before the Dingle family arrived.
Shannon and Lee were escorted from the domestic airport in Taitung to a local hospital the day they arrived in country. They were lead to a prayer room and told to wait. A few moments later, which seemed like a lifetime for them, in walked the newest addition to their sweet family of five. This is the moment that parents fantasize about; the moment they first touch and see their new child. They spend countless nights imagining how it will go. Will there be tears or laughter? But when the moment finally comes, the world stops, all previous thoughts fly out the window, and a child is placed in your arms. Now you are supposed to leave with your new baby. (Insert screeching car breaks here). This is where the wrench gets thrown into the Dingle’s adoption. They weren’t able to take sweet Zoe home. They were allowed to hold her, kiss her, and sweetly whisper how lovely and beautifully made she is, but when time was over they had to leave her in the confines of a cold, sterile hospital. With hopeful but heavy hearts, they left empty handed. The next day was more of the same; more touching, more kissing, more falling in love, and more waiting before Zoe was safely in their arms forever. It is not easy, but they have been trusting that God is in control.
“A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” Proverbs 16:9.
