12 Days of Christmas :: Sanctuary

Day 3 :: I am grateful for our home.

We've worked really hard and intentionally about creative a safe place within the walls of our home. We really value HOME. As we've worked to transform our "married without kids" home into a borderline childproof house for 2 little ones, I've realized all the more how much I love our home. It's cozy. It's comfortable. It's safe. It's totally a reflection of who Brian and I are. It's a gift. It's nothing fancy or big, but it's definitely a space where I can walk in the front door, drop my bags, take a deep breath, and stay for a while.

Today I am grateful to bring Judah and Addise into that kind of home.

Transition Prayer Passage

I got to talk with my sister-in-law last night, and right off the bat she wanted to encourage me by letting me know that she's praying this passage over Judah and Addise these days. She said that whenever her family been in transition due to any move or change, this has been the passage they've prayed over their transition. Of course, it's fitting that Sarah Beth would pray this over our kids. Tears...thanks, SB, for loving our kids well!

Psalm 121

¹ I look up to the mountains—
does my help come from there?
² My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth!

³ He will not let you stumble;
the one who watches over you will not slumber.
⁴ Indeed, he who watches over Israel
never slumbers or sleeps.

⁵ The Lord himself watches over you!
The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.
⁶ The sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon at night.

⁷ The Lord keeps you from all harm
and watches over your life.
⁸ The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go,
both now and forever.

Importance of Orphanages

I'm deeply grateful for Sister Asayech [below] and the nannies who've been caring for Judah and Addise for the past 5-6 months. Deeply, immeasurably thankful. They have been the hands and feet of Jesus to me for our kids. Sister Asayech is a woman who cares immensely about the care of widows and orphans in her country. She works on their behalf in ways I will never understand. My heart wells with appreciation for her and many others who are like her in Ethiopia.

Sister Asayech runs the orphanage that our kids are at right now. Yet, I'm confident that she would agree with me on this thought:

Orphanages are not God's ultimate design.
They are not his intention.
They are not the end for children.
Every child deserves to be in a forever family, loved permanently by a family.

Somewhere along the way of infertility and adoption, something has changed in me. As a result, I'm not sure if anything grabs the heart of God more than caring for widows and orphans. It's changing my heart forever.

Orphanages are NOT God's Plan A. Plan A is a forever family. I'm profoundly grateful that we are a part of God's Plan A for Judah and Addise. I'm oddly grateful that our Plan A didn't happen in the way we expected, because if it did Judah and Addise wouldn't be our children. And I'm grateful that God uses orphanages to complete his Plan A.

My dream would be that orphanages would cease to exist because every child has a home in the home of Christ follower. Can you imagine that kind of world? What would you need to do in order to make that kind of world reality!?!?!??!!?