My life is simple. It's the typical innocuous daily grind of mostly parenting with some other stuff sprinkled throughout. I have no super powers. I don't even have normal powers. I don't have any secret insight into life or original ideas about how to raise kids well. I am certainly no expert in any field. I have no great aspirations to counsel someone. However, if you are like me, you are looking for all types of help from all types of sources. If something I have written has ever spoken to you, that's great. However, that's not why I write. Not even remotely.
I write to honor my journey. I write to tell my little story within God's grand one. I write to somehow show that God takes a totally unsuperpowered girl and gives her grace and strength and hope. I'm not sure I could number the people who have said they could not do what we do. By that they mean, take in a girl who is not biologically related and raise her as their own. Well, I'm sorry to say - we cannot do what we do- at least not without help. Our families have embraced, loved, and babysat. Our friends have embraced, loved, and babysat. Therapists, government workers, librarians, other adoptive parents, foster care websites, mommy bloggers and gymnastics instructors have empowered, supported, and encouraged.
It takes a village to support a parent sometimes. Thank God for my village. His hands are the hands of those who are walking down our path in life with us. (Sometimes I feel like we have forced them to, but they seem willing enough so far.)
Really I've heard it regarding other things in our life: downsizing, apartment living, long-term disease battling, infertility mourning, whatever. "I could never do that... I couldn't handle that..." Truth is, you could, you can, and you probably do (or maybe should do) whatever version God has called you to do.
However, the bigger truth is that we don't do it alone – or, we don't have to.
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our afflictions, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God."
I've been lingering here in 2 Corinthians chapter 1. I have been contemplating whether I know how to go to God for comfort or if I just go ahead and comfort myself in the little ways I know how. I can lose myself in entertainment or a bowl of ice cream - (yes, even almond ice cream can drown some sorrows for a while). I can distract myself by helping others or in exercising or in my friends or a good book. I have actually hidden in our car to cry and eat cookies. (They were organic - so that's okay, right?)
How easily I can forget the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. ALL comfort.
I often want delivered from whatever it is that is uncomfortable or inconvenient. God can and does deliver from. Though, often He delivers through something. These deliverings are the ones when promises of our never leaving, never forsaking, rest-giving, eternal-promising God should be deep, powerful welcomed comforts.
Any true comfort I can ever offer someone will come from an experience of God comforting me. So I must keep going to Him. He comforts and empowers through all kinds of life storms we survive.
Yesterday I ate ice cream. Today I am sitting with God's Word in my lap.
I write to honor my journey. I write to tell my little story within God's grand one. I write to somehow show that God takes a totally unsuperpowered girl and gives her grace and strength and hope. I'm not sure I could number the people who have said they could not do what we do. By that they mean, take in a girl who is not biologically related and raise her as their own. Well, I'm sorry to say - we cannot do what we do- at least not without help. Our families have embraced, loved, and babysat. Our friends have embraced, loved, and babysat. Therapists, government workers, librarians, other adoptive parents, foster care websites, mommy bloggers and gymnastics instructors have empowered, supported, and encouraged.
It takes a village to support a parent sometimes. Thank God for my village. His hands are the hands of those who are walking down our path in life with us. (Sometimes I feel like we have forced them to, but they seem willing enough so far.)
Really I've heard it regarding other things in our life: downsizing, apartment living, long-term disease battling, infertility mourning, whatever. "I could never do that... I couldn't handle that..." Truth is, you could, you can, and you probably do (or maybe should do) whatever version God has called you to do.
However, the bigger truth is that we don't do it alone – or, we don't have to.
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our afflictions, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God."
I've been lingering here in 2 Corinthians chapter 1. I have been contemplating whether I know how to go to God for comfort or if I just go ahead and comfort myself in the little ways I know how. I can lose myself in entertainment or a bowl of ice cream - (yes, even almond ice cream can drown some sorrows for a while). I can distract myself by helping others or in exercising or in my friends or a good book. I have actually hidden in our car to cry and eat cookies. (They were organic - so that's okay, right?)
How easily I can forget the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. ALL comfort.
I often want delivered from whatever it is that is uncomfortable or inconvenient. God can and does deliver from. Though, often He delivers through something. These deliverings are the ones when promises of our never leaving, never forsaking, rest-giving, eternal-promising God should be deep, powerful welcomed comforts.
Any true comfort I can ever offer someone will come from an experience of God comforting me. So I must keep going to Him. He comforts and empowers through all kinds of life storms we survive.
Yesterday I ate ice cream. Today I am sitting with God's Word in my lap.
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