We found out recently that we will be significantly delayed in going to China. Because of Nathanael’s illness, we need to be sure he is seizure-free for a number of months after finishing his course of medication before we will be given medical clearance to take him. That means the earliest we can go is August 2014 and it’s more likely to be November 2014 or even maybe January 2015.
I went through all kinds of emotions when I heard the decision: disappointment, relief, anger, fear, sadness, hope, worry, guilt. All within a few days! But now I’m left with a kind of mixture of disappointment and excitement.
We’ve been looking forward to going for so long that of course there will be disappointment at the delay. But I called this post The Gift of Time and that’s what is bringing excitement.
We don’t want to just sit around, comfortably or uncomfortably, for these extra months. We don’t want to grow metaphorical cobwebs and beards. We have been given time in the UK and we intend to use it!
For Zach it means a long, stable period in one place, at the nursery he’s just settled into. I think this will be a really great basis for him before we take him on an adventure halfway around the world. For Nate it means a chance for us to get to know him more as a person, rather than the frantic times of hospitals and fear and worry that we’ve had so far.
For Farrah and I, what does it mean? We’re still working through that one. It means more time with family and friends. It means opportunities to spend time with people on a deeper level than we’ve managed in the transitions we’ve been going through. It means time to process all the emotions of recent months and get mentally prepared for China. It gives us a chance to meet up with people that have been working in China and are now in the UK. It means opportunity to serve God in new ways here that we don’t know about yet.
So I’m not sure how exactly I’m going to fill the extra time. But I know it won’t be boring and I know that it’s an opportunity, not a waste.