Okay, I Believe It!

My birth certificate is here.  Yea!!  It arrived in the mail today.

After waiting for nearly twelve weeks, having it in my hands seems almost anticlimactic, oddly enough. 

But I am grateful to God for what He's shown me about myself in the waiting.  He's got a lot of work to do in this messy little heart of mine!

Um, yeah, I really was born in Libya.  (Mom and Dad can explain that one.)  Was that the reason for the hold-up at the State Department?!?  I'm beginning to wonder...  :-)

I'll Believe It When I See It

Every day for the past week, I've tried to contact the State Department about the status of my birth certificate request.  I either get "line busy" or more often, the phone just rings and rings until I finally hang up.  It's been two weeks since my last unhelpful conversation with them. 

Yes, I was born in a very weird country, but does it really take more than eleven weeks to verify that I am, in fact, a U.S. citizen and to produce one document?  Apparently.

Last Thursday, I finally heard from my congressman's office, who I contacted on May 19 via their website form.  I got a letter in the mail, thanking me for contacting them, and another form asking for the very same information I had entered on their website.  Sigh.

I tried not to be pissy about giving them the information AGAIN and I dropped it by the congressman's local office last Friday, where a fresh-faced young man told me my request would get entered into the system asap.  My first sinful thought was, "Yeah, that would have been super helpful three weeks ago!" but I just smiled and said thank you, reminding myself that God is in control of all things, including my little request.

I realize that my issue is very low on the congressman's priority list, but I've never bothered an elected official for anything before now.  I had hoped for better responsiveness and for him to help speed up the process.  That's not likely to be the case now.

I called the State Department again this morning.  I obviously didn't think I was going to get through because I made the call with two little girls underfoot, so naturally, a real person answered. 

The guy, who remembered me from two weeks ago, told me that my birth certificate was mailed on Monday, so I should receive it by next Monday at the latest.  Woo hoo! 

I'm hopeful but can't totally shake my skepticism.  I'll believe it when I see it.  Still, I pray to God that the guy's information is accurate and that I have my birth certificate in my hot little hand soon!  We'll see.

Progress? Not Sure...

I actually got through to the U.S. State Department's Vital Records section this afternoon.  No one was more surprised than me! 

I got the mail this morning, and there was still no birth certificate.  Argh.  So when I put the girls down for their naps, I thought, "Why not?  I'll try that phone number again, but this time, I won't waste two hours."

On the first try, instead of the maddening "line busy" message, the phone kept ringing.  Good sign.  It took me a second to realize that a real person had answered, not an automated message, and I had to jump up and get the phone off of speaker.

I gave the guy my name and birthdate, he looked up my request, and then our conversation went like this:

"Um, it looks like your request is being processed." 
(Yeah, dude, not super helpful.)
"Okaaaaay.  Do you have any idea when I'll be receiving my birth certificate?"
"Probably soon." 
(Riiiiight.)
"How long does it normally take to get a birth certificate?"
"Four to eight weeks."
"Well, my request was submitted over nine weeks ago, and you cashed my check eight weeks ago, so I'm already over that time frame."
"Um, it's in the hands of a specialist."
"Can you tell what the hold up is?"
"No."
"Would someone actually contact me if there was a problem with my request?"
"Oh, yes."
"Is it possible to find out what's holding up my request?"
"Do you want to talk to the specialist?"
"Yes, I would."

Then he put me on hold.  Even in the moment, I didn't get my hopes up.  Frankly, it seemed too good to be true. 

And it was.

After awhile, he came back on the line to tell me that the specialist had "stepped away from his office" and asked if I wanted the specialist to call me when he returned. 

"Why, yes, I would."

I'm not holding my breath.  I didn't even have the heart to ask when I could expect the return call, although it crossed my mind.  I'll be shocked if I actually get that call.

While the phone call wasn't very helpful, at least I know my request has been received, and it's working its way through the bureaucracy that is our federal government.

More importantly though, I know that Almighty God is in control, not some bureaucrat.  It certainly helps me to have that perspective in this situation. 

And I can see that God is using this delay to do more of His work in me.  I happen to be reading in Job right now, and this quote from the Job chapter of 66 Love Letters really hit me this morning:

[God speaking] "To know Me well, you must first be confused by Me.  Only in the mystery of suffering will you stop trying to fit Me into your understanding of life.  Learn this as you read Job:  When you stand before Me in mystery, you will eventually rest within Me in trust.  When you can't figure Me out, you will give up the illusion of predictability and control and discover the joy and freedom of hope."

I'm definitely confused and can't figure God out.  But I'm choosing to trust that He knows what He's doing with this whole thing!  No doubt, a good place to be.