"Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above
coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation
or shifting shadow." - James 1:17
Each and every day our Father is showering gifts on us. Sometimes they are easy to recognize and we embrace them willingly and with joy. Other times they might be needed, but they aren't that exciting (like underwear at Christmas). Sometimes we are too busy to even notice them. And many times we wish God had saved the receipt so we could return them. Yet our Father, our Papa, delights and sings over us and loves to give us gifts. He knows us better than we know ourselves and has a perfect understanding of exactly what gift would be best for us. And when we purpose to thank Him for everything He gifts us with, our eyes are opened to see the beauty of the gift.
This week, it is easy for us to recognize some of our Father's gifts. But what about the past year of agonizing delays in this adoption. Was that a gift? What about losing a loved one to a terminal illness? Or a miscarriage? Or watching a son suffer a debilitating stroke? Financial ruin? Are these also gifts from the Father? Why would a loving Father allow such pain in the lives of His children? Why would he withhold good when He has the power to rescue, heal, and restore in just a word? Because God's ultimate purpose in giving these gifts is to give us more of Himself. He wants to give us the ultimate gift, which is His glory, and He knows that the vessels that reflect His glory the best have been refined in the fire. He knows that it's only through tribulation that we develop perseverance, which leads to proven character, which leads to HOPE. Hope recognizes that the love of God has been showered upon us. Hope sees God's goodness in the pain. Hope looks beyond the moment to the eternal.
"And when we find ourselves most hopeless, the road most taxing, we may also find that it is then that The Risen Christ catches up to us on the way, better than our dreams, beyond all our hopes. For it is He---not His gifts, nor His power, not what He can do for us, But He HIMSELF---who comes and makes Himself known to us. And this is the one PURE JOY for those who sorrow." Elisabeth Elliot
And so as we reflect on all we are thankful for this week, we also thank God for the pain of the last year. For without the pain we wouldn't have come to know God as intimately, or to love Him as deeply, or to trust Him as completely.
And what are the gifts of this week?
Well of course, this boy...
Friends who have prayed, and sent notes, and words of encouragement, and crafts, and gifts...
Teachers who have loved, cared for, and even cried with our boy in our absence...
Our facilitators Alex, Nastya, Svetlana, and Alyona who work endless hours to see orphans placed in families (and even let us facetime them so they can translate the Ukrainian menu for us) ...
Staying with Karen Springs at Hospitality House...
No bus tickets to Kiev left for Friday so we had an extra day at Pishana...
The ease at which all has been accomplished this week...Jim and I have commented several times, that we didn't feel our presence was even necessary for all the documents to be approved, signed, delivered...
A whole week with my sweetheart!
Tomorrow we will get up early to make the long drive back to the highway and catch a bus to Kiev. We will arrive in the afternoon sometime. We are getting picked up at 3am on Sunday to get to the airport by 3:30 for our 5:30am flight. Svetlana and Alyona are hopeful that we can return in 3 weeks for court. May it be true! And then our boy will be given a new name!
"And when we find ourselves most hopeless, the road most taxing, we may also find that it is then that The Risen Christ catches up to us on the way, better than our dreams, beyond all our hopes. For it is He---not His gifts, nor His power, not what He can do for us, But He HIMSELF---who comes and makes Himself known to us. And this is the one PURE JOY for those who sorrow." Elisabeth Elliot
And so as we reflect on all we are thankful for this week, we also thank God for the pain of the last year. For without the pain we wouldn't have come to know God as intimately, or to love Him as deeply, or to trust Him as completely.
And what are the gifts of this week?
Well of course, this boy...
Lots of kisses...
Playing with and hugging and loving on these children...
Teachers who have loved, cared for, and even cried with our boy in our absence...
Watching Igor interact with his friends....
Conversations in Russian/English....realizing that we all understand the language of love....
Being a "parent" for a couple days for orphaned children to show off to...
Our facilitators Alex, Nastya, Svetlana, and Alyona who work endless hours to see orphans placed in families (and even let us facetime them so they can translate the Ukrainian menu for us) ...
Staying with Karen Springs at Hospitality House...
No bus tickets to Kiev left for Friday so we had an extra day at Pishana...
The ease at which all has been accomplished this week...Jim and I have commented several times, that we didn't feel our presence was even necessary for all the documents to be approved, signed, delivered...
A whole week with my sweetheart!
Tomorrow we will get up early to make the long drive back to the highway and catch a bus to Kiev. We will arrive in the afternoon sometime. We are getting picked up at 3am on Sunday to get to the airport by 3:30 for our 5:30am flight. Svetlana and Alyona are hopeful that we can return in 3 weeks for court. May it be true! And then our boy will be given a new name!
And you will just have to wait until then to know it...
While you may be adopting one child, I think you have gained a heart for many children that have been blessed by your presence both this week and before.
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