No Grumbling or Complaining

October 12, 2006

Okay, so I am terrible at this journaling thing! I guess since there has been no activity with our adoption (due to the delay of the new UA adoption center), I have felt it unnecessary to bore you with the details of how agonizing it is to wait on a government-run facility to get its act together! I have, however, tried to rearrange my mental thoughts and dwell on the fact that I need to be enjoying my family, just the way it is at this moment, because it won’t be long before it’s all going to change. I have also been reading with K about the Israelites and how God set them free from the Egyptians. In the middle of their journey all they did was grumble and complain to God instead of being thankful that God had delivered them…they even asked to be sent back into slavery! They would complain, God would forgive and punish…then the vicious cycle would start all over again. Many of the Israelites never even made it to the promise land because of their sin and unbelief. Hey, I’m hearing God loud and clear and counting it all joy when I go through various trials, because I know that the testing of my faith develops perseverance and perseverance must finish its work so that I can be mature and complete, not lacking anything. So, as hard as it is, I am thanking God for the time we have to wait.

Since we didn’t bring D to America this summer, C (along with several friends who are adopting) will be traveling to UA to visit the orphanage. I am so excited that he will have an opportunity to spend some time with D and her friends. I finally decided to tell her that C would be coming to visit (only after the plane ticket was purchased). She had been sounding very down on the phone and I believe it gave her a renewed hope to hear that he is coming. She has sounded much better on the phone when we have talked to her. So, we are counting down the days when C leaves for his exciting adventure to UA. Only 5 more to go! I know he is a little nervous about the whole thing. It is very hard to trust that the people who are making plans for you to be in a different country are taking care of all the details.

In the mean time, there are bags to pack, which will be loaded down with gifts; gifts for the children, gifts for the director, and gifts for friends. Which reminds me, I am missing a few and need to go shopping. I am hoping that I will be able to journal more next week since C will be at the orphanage then.

More to come,
Mama

Looking Over the Edge

October 16, 2006

A few weeks ago, we went camping with some families from church - a new campground that we've not used before. We've come to believe there are two type of people: campers and non-campers. Now the Grace's - we're the first type. Granted, we've been slacking in the practice, but we've still got tents, sleeping gear, cooking gear and most importantly, camping friends. The weather was a little warm, but we had planned to take advantage of the lake while we were there. This was a two day affair. G's sister was swollen with child and very near delivery so we weren't sure this whole activity would play out or not. This was also opening weekend for college football and my team was only available by PPV and radio. So we went camping. Now recall the lake info. We were able to camp right along the bank up in a slough. Well as you can imagine the kids ended up in the water. BTW there was this unruly kid camping a few sites down. Man, his mama stayed on him the whole first day. Poor kid shares a name with me - "C, you better git up here now! I'm gonna woop you if you don't git up here now!" poor kid.

Anyway, swimming, yeah, swimming - We explored around a little in our friends canoe and happened upon a serious rope swing. So we did what any red blooded American should do and we declared that we would ride the swing. Now this took some preparation and agging on. Another family came to visit in their boat and so a group left for some tubing. Those of us left decided to venture back to the swing. Stay with me now - The point is coming. So here's the make up of the group. Me - the sole adult male, two other adventurous swimming moms, G in the safety of the canoe, and a handful of kids of various ages. So the dare was on. Now being the sole male, I had to go first. Now I gotta tell you, I'm not terribly afraid of heights. I've flow in small planes, I've soloed, I've build treehouses... but something about the angle that this thing swung took my breath away.

So there I was. Standing there looking over the edge. Nothing below me but good ole Alabama Power Impoundment.

Do you know that feeling? Standing there. Wanting to take the plunge, but uncertain about how long the fall would last - how would it feel - exactly when to let go of the rope - how to balance yourself as you fell so as to avoid that belly flop? All those thoughts running through your head. All those people waiting to see whether or not they were going to cheer or comfort your wound as they try not to laugh.

So here I am. Sitting here. Waiting for tomorrow to arrive. I'm flying to K tomorrow to visit for a few days. Nervous? yep. Wondering what life will be like at this time next week. Will I feel the same? Will I offend? Will I survive? I know that God has very specifically (and spectacularly I might add) led us to this point. We've been blessed and God has fulfilled his promises.

So what have I to fear. Nothing below me but that impoundment of matter that God put together and ultimately controls. So what if I end up with a little bruise here or there. I want to live life with few regrets. Twenty years from now... what will I regret. It won't be sitting here wondering what life could have been like.

BTW, we had to pack up camp in the middle of the night and flee like refugees because little H R couldn't wait. G spent the rest of that night at the hospital watching that life begin.

Isn't God good?