Licensed!

Squeezed into the incredible excitement surrounding the adoption of Wyatt and Jubilee is one more little miracle I haven't gotten around to sharing yet.  Everything God does is big, though, and He deserves the glory for this special event, as well.

This story begins way back in 2008.  I graduated from UGA that Spring with a Master of Social Work.  At the time, we were smack in the middle of Riley's adoption and licensure was back-burnered until a more peaceful season could ebb its way onto Team Robinson's scene.  Y'all know that Riley is anything but peaceful and that season of our lives just hasn't ever ebbed in, so in March 2012, I filled out the licensure application, sent it on in and waited to hear something from the board.  

In April they sent me a little notice in the mail that my application was pending the results of my LMSW exam.  The words of my colleagues and professors quickly came to mind, "Take it right away, so it's fresh in your head."  Well, I didn't.  And in April 2012, it wasn't fresh in my head, so I did what I always do in situations where something isn't fresh in my head.  I put it off...all the way until April 2013.  I thought about that exam many times across and between those two Aprils.  I even signed up and paid for the exam, but between kids and work and adoption, I just didn't get around to studying for it.

I think in my mind I had already decided to just forget the whole licensure thing and reapply when things got a little quieter.  On Monday, two days before we left for China, the idea of forgetting it just didn't seem to sit well with me anymore.  I called the testing center to see if there was an opening, and there was - the next morning at 8:00, the day before we were scheduled to leave for China.  I booked the test and grabbed the study guide and vowed to study all night long and never procrastinate again.  (The pages of "The Procrastination Workbook" are floating around in my mind right now.  It is, after all, mid-June and I've finally gotten around to writing this!)

Tuesday morning arrived and I drove down to Macon, hoping and praying to pass the exam.  I prayed God would open the deep recesses of my brain and pour out the contents, and He did.  My tears of gratitude must not have looked happy because the moderator consoled me as I left and said I could always try again. I tried to explain to her how this was not possible, that God had performed a miracle, but I think I might have just scared her and made her think I was crazy.  The adrenaline from that moment was amazing!

Glory to God, I passed the exam!  Notification of my licensure arrived as we were halfway to China. I remember feeling like I wouldn't know what to do with one more piece of good news.  God's blessings are bountiful indeed!  

As far as the license goes, I have no idea what I will do with it.  I might just be a licensed wife and mother with 9 children who loves the Lord and caring for orphans though a ministry called Lifeline.  I think I'll back-burner any more excitement until a more peaceful season ebbs it's way onto Team Robinson's scene!