When the Promise Takes Time

Waiting doesn’t mean you’ve been forgotten.

Some of us are waiting on things that feel like they should have happened long ago—answers, healing, wholeness. For many adoptees, waiting is a language we know too well.

We wait to know who we are.
We wait to be seen as whole, not broken.
We wait for a promise of belonging to take root in our bones.

And in all that waiting, it’s easy to wonder if God sees us. If He remembers the story He wrote over our lives before anyone else had a say.

What I’ve come to believe—through years of personal reflection and a lifetime of layered experiences—is that He does see us. And no matter how long it takes, He has not forgotten.

One of the memories that recently resurfaced was from 1989—the year I turned sixteen. As a little girl, I longed to get my ears pierced. But because of medical complications, my dad asked my mom to wait until I could decide for myself. His promise? “When you turn sixteen.”

I asked every year, hoping that maybe I had proven myself responsible enough. Still, he held firm.

Then, on my sixteenth birthday, my mom picked me up early from school. I passed my driver’s test, and drove—finally—to the jewelry store. Promise fulfilled.

It may seem like a small thing, but in that moment, I realized I had been seen. Heard. Remembered.

And in this season of my life—after multple losses—that memory holds even more weight. Because what I didn’t recognize then was how surrounded I was by people who kept their promises. People who made space for my desires. People who honored what mattered to me.

As adoptees, we often carry hidden longings—some we can name, and others buried so deeply they’re hard to articulate. We may carry disappointment from promises broken or hope deferred.

But today, I want to gently remind you:

God sees you. And He has not forgotten.
Not the promise.
Not the dream.
Not the ache you’ve carried quietly for years.
Not the version of you that’s still becoming.

You don’t have to force it. You don’t have to prove yourself. If He said it, He will do it—at the appointed time.

I pray you’ll hold fast to hope, even in the waiting. Because He is faithful. And His timing? Always perfect.

With love and shared strength,
Iris

🕊️ Scripture to Hold Close:

☕ If this message spoke to your heart, you can support my work here: Buy Me a Coffee