Relief & Anticipation

I finally finished my personal statement of faith. There's really no way to be sure it includes the types of things Bethany wants. The Packet includes a sheet with basic requirements. In this case, there are some requirements that seem a bit more geared toward belief, but as before, certainly nothing objectionable. We are to explain what we belief about the person of Jesus, and how the Holy Spirit has been active in our lives. Also, to be included are some expression of how our own faith has grown over time, and the ways in which we expect to instill a sense of faith in our children.

For anyone reading this who may not be familiar with this type of thing, the requirements seem to be this; in what ways would others see evidence of your faith in God, how has He blessed your life, and how would you go about teaching your children about Him. I think they are basically trying to find out if we are mature enough in our faith to be able to provide a Christian home for our adopted children.

I do a fair amount of writing at work. Software requirements, business cases, project outlines, etc. But this was very much a throwback to college and high school. It turned out to be exactly like I remember an essay to be. I really should have written my first draft in a blue book!!! Good thing I had teachers and profs like Mrs Cleavely and Dr. Moyer. If you went to Twin Valley or Millersville, you'll know who I'm talking about. And if so, you're either laughing or crying right now.

One way in which a statement of faith differs from an essay is that it's quite personal. There's no evidence to site, no metaphors to explain, and certainly no counter-argument to refute. At least it was open book.

I'm not going to get into a lot of detail, but if you want some idea of what I believe and how my faith has been formulated, at least in recent years - then read Romans - chapter 5. Yah, that pretty much sums it up for me.

So, now that the statement of faith is behind me, I'm really looking forward to tomorrow's meeting. The wife tells me it's called an "International Adoption Orientation Meeting." Filling out forms and writing essays may seem exciting, but going to an actual meeting will make the whole thing seem possible. We'll be making live contact with others interested in the same thing as us, and more importantly, the people that can help make it happen. Till next time...