Monday, August 9, 2010

HeartSick


"Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life.
``
--Proverbs 13:12

We entered the summer with hearts dancing with excitement. The adoption seemed to be rushing forward with unimaginable momentum as so many hopes and dreams grew as Levi spent fully six weeks with us during camp season.

Under our roof, we watched as the quiet, unassuming child blossomed into outgoing comic wrapped up in little boyhood, and we emerged as a new kind of a Chun family -- one with five faces instead of four, melded into a kind of clan any human imagination would never dare to assemble. We embraced it as God's better plan, and prayed and hoped that God would grant us supernatural favor within the bureaucracy and Levi would be truly ours by summer's end, able to start school in the fall with us.

It was all a beautiful dream -- until hope was deferred.

The last major step in the process, the psychological evaluation, which we expected to be a cordial meeting, spiraled into a nightmare of hostility, prejudice, and accusation. We emerged perplexed and the follow up meeting with our daughters, Andi and Niki, (fully six weeks later) left me wishing I'd never allowed the psychologist time alone with my children.

The psychologist seemed dead set against us from square one. And now we wait for her official evaluation with sick hearts as so many hopes have been deferred.

But ours is not a unique plight. Hope deferred has become a standard state in this fallen world.

Many such hopes and dreams are good and righteous and God-seeded in the hearts of people -- still hope is deferred and the heart grows sick. For some it is the child they've hope for, fought for, yet miscarried again and again. For others it's the spouse they've longed for, waited for, trusted God for and still the years pass by and no one comes. For others still, and perhaps most tragically, they've held that longed-for child, or kissed that beloved spouse, only to have him ripped from their arms and torn for their souls by the cruel blade of death's grim reaper.

And so hope is deferred. And hearts reel in the agony of it all.

We respond to this heart sickness in many different ways. Russ avoids breakfast, because Levi and he always shared a special early breakfast together. He naps in Levi's room, so it does not feel so empty. But as I clean that tiny room and it remains clean far too long, we all face that profound void in the absence of what should be.

On August 15, we hope to learn the official result of our psychological evaluation. We have low expectations, knowing there could be long road ahead of us as we fight for our Levi. He may not be our child on paper, but he is already the son of our hearts.

And so for the moment hope has been deferred and our hearts are sick. But we believe there will come a day when this dream will be fulfilled and it will be a tree of life to us and others who witness it.

Not everyone gets to experience their righteous dreams fulfilled in this lifetime. May it be enough to know that our Lord, Jesus Christ is the fulfiller of our dreams for all eternity. For all our hopes are never extinguished, they are only deferred for a season -- until we embrace Him face to face.

10 comments:

sd said...

I can't imagine the disappointment. I'll be praying that the psychologist has a change of heart as she processes the interviews. Meanwhile, where is Levi? Is it possible in Hungary to select a child for adoption before the family has completed the approval process?

Trudy Chun said...

Sarah, it's certainly not standard procedure to know the child ahead of time (many in the bureaucracy frown upon it). But realistically, older children would never be placed for adoption if there were no allowance for such a situation. Levi has returned to the orphanage where he lives and we all wait. Meanwhile we will continue to take him for weekend visits and as much interaction as the law allows. All prayers are welcome. Thanks.

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Solid Rock or Sinking Sand said...

I really enjoyed reading the posts on your blog. I would like to invite you to come on over to my blog and check it out. God's blessings. Lloyd

Anonymous said...

Please give us an update, i really hope things worked out for you and Levi!

nannykim said...

So I am wondering what has happened now? Siince it is the 18th.

The Journey said...

Read your blog randomly today but knew it was not random at all! I'm praying for you and yours. One of my favorite Mary Mary songs says:

I just can't give up now. I've come too far from where I've started from. Nobody told me, this road would be easy but I don't believe He's brought me this far to leave me!

Reading the past few entries, He has brought you a pretty long way in your heart towards this sweet boy. As I pray, I will ask that He reveals His heart more and more to you. You and I both know that Daddy LEADS us and doesn't LEAVE us. Keep walking no matter how rocky and overgrown the road. He's leading you somewhere.

I definitely want to follow your story! Thanks for sharing!

Glory Bee said...

I, too, randomly landed on your blog. And I, too, know it wasn't "random". It was The Lord's leading. I am praying for you, your current family, and Levi (part of your future family, I hope). I have known that hope deferred and I've been sick of heart but God is faithful to comfort and sustain. God bless you all.

Tommy said...

Nice post and cool blog! Keep it up :D

If you're interested or bored, check this out: http://thestoriesofwhitegloves.blogspot.com/

Gigi said...

i think this article needs an update:D:D:D