It is Memorial Day Weekend. The battle plan is still dynamic immersion. The strategy is to lose ourselves in watersports, hotdogs, hamburgers, potato salad, and watermelon while dedicating time on our knees in prayer remembering those whom have sacrificially given their lives to preserve the vision of our founding fathers. Freedom is a blessing to be counted every day of our lives.
We are going to escape to the lake for some R&R.
This seemed like a doable strategy until the end of the day, Thursday, May 26, 2011, when a last minute phone call to USCIS engaged me in a conversation with an officer who, after asking for our receipt number, proceeded to spit out the words, "You were approved two days ago. My records indicate you were approved."
"Approved? We have been approved?"
"Yes, Ma'am. You can expect to receive your letter in the mail 7-10 days from now. Once your application is approved, the agent passes it on to his supervisor for review, then it is sent to the mailroom where it is sorted and sent out. From there it is delivered by the US postal System to you."
It was his final statement that spun around in my head like a top.
He said, "Actually, you might even receive it sooner than that."
We were approved AND we might receive our letter sooner than "that".
Friday evening, we rolled into the lakehouse driveway. Saturday morning we began our immersion. The kids did some tubing and wakeboarding. We drowned some worms. We ate. Then in typical hero fashion, Knight-in-Shining Armor said, "Let's take a ride."
It wasn't long at all and we were pulling up to the mailbox at our home. We had driven home Saturday afternoon to check the mailbox for one VIL (very important letter). What are the chances it would be there just four days after receiving our approval? What were the chances it would be in mailbox exactly four months to the day after starting the adoption process? What were the chances it would be there on day 57 of our wait when we were prepared to wait 75 days for it? What were the chances?
I opened the mailbox door and there lay an envelope with a return address reading Department of Homeland Security. There IT lay in our mailbox. Peeking through the address window were the words FAVORABLE DETERMINATION LETTER. There it lay.
How do you respond to such a sight? With praise and thanksgiving!
"Every good and perfect gift is from above..." James 1:17
And then a WHOOP! and a HOLLER! and a SCREAM!
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