Since our daughter has been home we have discovered something about her, something she is lacking and she needs desperately. Security, or maybe its just good old fashioned love. Lisa tells me almost every day as I am away at work, how Lillibet will cry even if Lisa goes into the other room for but a brief moment. Lisa loves that she needs her so desperately, of course at times it makes it very difficult to do anything much at all, and Lisa can get mildly frustrated. Mostly though Lisa patiently loves her. I told Lisa a few weeks ago to think of it as just filling her love tank that needs filling. I have been staying with Lillibet on Wednesdays when Lisa and the girls are at church, this past Wednesday I experienced the same thing. Lillibet would cry loudly and come crawling towards me desperately trying to find me. I took her for a walk in her stroller, I noticed about half way through the walk she began looking up to see my face every few seconds, she wanted to know I was still there and had not left her. Sometimes its difficult to even think about all the transitions she has had in her short life. She is only 15 months old, but she was with her mother for 6 months, at an orphanage in Southern Ethiopia for 4 months, and in the Care Center in the capital city for 3 months before coming home with us these past 2 months.
Someone recently commented, after watching Lillibet for just an hour or so, that you can tell she really gets a lot of attention. Lisa said that yes she has 4 siblings and a mommy and a daddy, plus her doggie at home to take care of her. As we thought of that comment, we thought of how misunderstood Lillibet was by this person. How her deep need was not clear to this person, this person was not aware of her brief history here on Gods Earth. At first it upset me and I wanted to say something, try to explain how deep her need is and what has happened to her in her life, to share her deep need. Then I began to think of how much I misunderstand when I look around at others. Had I not walked this adoption path for over 2 years now, read all the books and other information that I have, how I would have had the same perception. I wonder how much we all misunderstand? Who do we judge based upon our experiences not understanding the deep needs of those around us. Maybe, just maybe we all should take a deep breath, stop assuming we understand what others have gone through in life, and just simply try to fill their love tanks. Let them know we will just be there for them, no matter what. So that when they look up from that stroller every few moments, they see that were still there, still walking with them.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Blessed with a burden
My wife and I today watched the movie "Freedom Writers" which is a story about a teacher who helps change the lives of many inner city kids who live in a area where gangs and violence are part of everyday life. It was a touching story of how one person really impacts the world. There is a part in the movie where her father and she are talking. Earlier he had told her that her work at the school as a teacher was just a job. After seeing the changes in her kids over a 2 year period, he tells her a different story. At one point he tells her that she has been blessed with a burden. A burden that kept her inspired through all of the tough times during the 2 years she was teaching her kids. As I heard him share those words, my mind shifted to the burden Lisa and I have for the children of the world. How it kept us inspired through all the ups and downs during our adoption journey. There is just something about an inspired passion, a burden, that keeps you pushing forward. As I type this my mind now wonders to those of you reading these words. What burden has God blessed you with? What need has he called you to meet that he made you and planned for you to meet before you were ever born. I cant answer that question for anyone other than myself, but what I can say, without hesitation, is that while the burden he gives you will at times seem overwhelming, the blessing you will feel, the joy you will experience, while you are in the work he called you to, will far outweigh cost of the burden you will pay. The best analogy I can think of is labor pains during child birth. Once that child is in your arms, all the pain is long forgotten and only the joy remains. So let me ask you, what burden has God blessed you with?
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
New procedure to adopt in Ethiopia
We just heard today from our agency that Ethiopia has changed their procedure. Families now have to travel twice to Ethiopia before they can take their child home. We are members of a Yahoo group and we are seeing many families really in turmoil over this. Many of them are so close to seeing their sons or daughters and now they will have this delay, and also obviously a greater expense involved. Please pray for all of them that the money will be there and the delays wont be too long. Its a shame the kids will have to wait longer now to come home.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Thursday, March 4, 2010
There is no me without you
I recently finished reading a book titled "There is no me without you" by Melissa Fay Greene. Its a book about a woman who ends up starting on her own an orphanage for kids in Ethiopia. Perhaps because we just returned home from over there, and we now are the parents of a blessed gift from God, who was born in Ethiopia, the book overwhelmed me. I actually told Lisa I found myself grieving the closer I came to the end of the book. It truly moved me. I would like to encourage everyone who reads these words to get the book. I checked it out of the local library.
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