Abram (later Abraham) was told by God that he would be the "father of many nations", yet it was many, many years before that promise came to fruition. During that time, Sarai, his wife, became frustrated and took matters into her own hands by giving Abram to her maid, Hagar, to conceive a child with. That wasn’t God’s plan, however. His plan was that Sarai (later Sarah) would give birth to a child. She found this notion ridiculous, as did her husband, and they laughed. (Gen. 17:17; Gen. 18:12). However, as most of us know, Sarah and Abraham became parents at 90 and 100 respectively.

Though most of us would say we would not have resorted to the methods Sarah used, nor would we have laughed when God told us we would have that which we most longed for, Sarah still illustrates that part of human nature most trying during the adoption wait: frustration.

This frustration may lead us into self-defeating thoughts and behaviors, as it did for Sarah. It can also cause us to be hasty in our actions, which could translate into delays or making things more difficult for those in the helping professions who assist us, such as lawyers and social workers.

Sarah and Abraham did wait … and wait … and wait. They also received the child of promise, just when they had about given up.

Waiting does take an emotional toll on all members of the adoption triad. Thus, I want to explore the topic to benefit others. This introductory article on Sarah and Abraham will serve as a segue into a series of tips on how to handle the emotions that come with the long wait that oftentimes accompanies an adoption. Hopefully, by exploring healthy ways to "bide the time" and deal with the wait, we can prepare ourselves so that we may fully experience the joy that will be ours when Adoption Day arrives!