Monday, October 18, 2010

2 weeks down...

? to go.

After 5 days of killer jet lag I was so happy to be able to stay up past 8pm and not wake up before 4 am.  Now I am back to my usual night-owl self and faithfully hitting snooze at 5:40 so I can meet my bud, K, for our morning walks.

It has been 2 weeks since we passed court and Little Sister officially became our daughter.
2 weeks since I held her.
2 weeks since I smooched her soft cheeks and ran my hands over her braids.

I was prepared to miss her.  And oh, do I ever.  But I was not prepared to miss Ethiopia.

But, man, do I ever.

I miss the sounds and smells that wafted through my window in the Guest House.
I miss the African accents all around me, and the slower pace of life.
I miss the children who surrounded me with up-turned lips, waiting for their kiss.
And I miss the feeling of my world being so very, very big.

I am still processing all that I saw in Addis.  I don't know if I will ever fully grasp what happened in my heart over there.  This is so much bigger than I am.  This is more than "bringing a child home" and providing a family to an orphan.  God is weaving something more beautiful than I ever imagined as we walk through each step to bring LS home.

I find myself unable to find the words to describe just what it is like in Africa.  The children there wait, hoping and praying for a family.  The older ones especially broke my heart.  Not because they are pitiful or sad, but just the opposite.  They have a faith and peace about them that I have never seen in children that age.  They trust God completely as they wait for Him to provide a family for them.  Day by day ticks by.  Day by day their lives move on.  Day by day their prayers rise and their hope holds fast.  My children, who have so much, can't comprehend what the children of Africa live through each and every day.  I am so thrilled that my oldest daughter will go with me to bring LS home, but I truly wish we were all going.

We will.  I know we will.  And I pray it will be sooner rather than later.

So until homecoming day arrives, we wait and pray.  God is teaching me so much through all of this.  I pray I can live it out to His glory.

And maybe even inspire someone else to do the same.

2 comments:

  1. You have no idea the impact you are making at this very moment on another family...such powerful words friend...and all because you are allowing God to use you! So amazing getting to be a witness of His hand in your family--a true miracle.

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