Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Never Running Out of Love


When I envision our boys, I picture them sitting on our laps.  I'm looking into their smiling eyes, and reading them stories.  I’m picking up the pillows they’ve knocked over as they run through the house ransacking the living room while pretending to be pirates.  We’re bandaging up scrapes and bruises.  Josh is playing ball with them in the backyard (while I either cheer them on, or pretend to have some sort of athletic skill).  Call me sappy, but these are the fluttering images I get that help me keep struggling through the paper chase and waiting. Those are our dreams. I am sure those moments will be found, but after our classes and discussions with other first-hand parents, we know these moments will most likely be found in clouds of struggle.  We have been preparing our hearts for things we know we can’t be prepared for. 

God didn’t create life for people to sit back a watch the hard cases suffer.  There is love to be found in every battle.  And one such battle involves my loving and incredible aunt and uncle, and their two daughters. I am sure that without their presence, I would not be who I am today.  I would not have the faith I have right now. Twice in my life they took me in when I needed a place to stay.  They put up with my stubbornness as a moody teenager and helped me deal with the pain of being away from my mom when they didn’t darn well have to.  They gave me my own room, fed me, drove me to school out-of-district, and made me feel like I belonged.  My uncle talked my ear off about history, and our crazy world.  They both taught me how to have integrity, how to see things for what they are and what they aren’t.  Aside from helping me, they have also been a rock in the lives of several other people, who needed someone during their adolescent years. 

A few years ago, Aunt Janice and Uncle Bob decided they finally wanted to become foster parents.  Most people in their 50’s save up for a vacation home, buy a boat, a nice car, etc.  God had other plans for them.  They decided to welcome B (for privacy and safety, I am leaving her name out) into their family, a neglected 5-year old, who would completely alter their lives.  B proved to be the most difficult case my aunt ever endured, after 20 years of teaching and working with young children.  It broke my heart to see her exasperated, and at wits end.  At one point I can even say they were both completely withdrawn from her.  She has exhausted them to the end of their ropes.  But they didn’t give up.  

One year later, B was a changed girl.  After giving her a year-and-a-half of consistency, she had the love, care, and attention she always needed to progress socially, emotionally, and academically.  She even got a new baby sister.  Yes, my aunt and uncle unexpectedly learned B had a newborn sister, and welcomed her as well.  In July, both girls were finally able to call my aunt and uncle MOM and DAD.  They are now officially adopted, and according to my aunt, she and Unlce Bob are tired, but have never felt more full of life and love in their entire lives.  It’s a happy ending, but not without struggle.  B’s behavior issues still exist, although they are no where near as difficult as before.  Her baby sister has a heart murmur, and they are investigating the possibility of surgery.  Both girls will continue to face medical and emotional challenges, but these are challenges they will all face head-on as a family, with full faith in God to get them through, as he always has.  And who knows?  More surprises may be up ahead. 


I love you, Aunt Janice and Uncle Bob.  You inspire me in so many ways, just as you always have.  Thank you for never giving up on me and supporting me through the years.  I know you will continue to do so when I need your help and encouragement with our future boys!  Welcome to the family, girls!  You bring so much life into our family.  We love you.  

Saturday, October 1, 2011

What has happened in the past two months, you ask?  Not much, to be honest.  This is the painful process of waiting…and waiting….and waiting.  Waiting for paperwork to go through; waiting for the next step.  We thought we’d be celebrating one milestone down in our adoption journey-our completed home study, only to get word back on our background checks and learn after 3 months that Josh had to resend his fingerprints, because they were not clear enough.  This a little frustrating when I think about how most states have their prints done on computer now, which would have eliminated this issue for us.  We will most likely have to wait another 3 months to hear back from the state of WV again.  Add a new school year and its challenges, and I am already seeing a bitter, less positive mentality taking over.  I don’t like it. 

Let’s try to be a little brighter, shall we?  We’ve met some really neat people through our PRIDE training classes.  I have no doubt these people will eventually make phenomenal foster and adoptive parents…hopefully sooner than the time it will take go get our boys.  Perhaps we’ll be able to sit for them or serve a respite home for them at some point (when foster families go out of town and need someone to watch the kids). I think we see fostering in our future someday down the road.  How can we not, after first-hand of the great need in our area?  If we weren’t already so attached to our boys so much, foster to adopt would be a great option for us.  I firmly believe God is still leading us this way, though.  I can’t describe the connection we both feel towards them.  He hasn’t closed any doors, just providing more opportunity for us to put our faith in him to let him work everything out according to his glory. 

While we are waiting to send off our dossier with our completed home study, we are looking into fundraising options to bring in over $30,000.  We will be applying for grants, but heard they are very hard to get.  We must present all we’ve done to raise money so far in the journey.  God enables us to do more than we think we are capable of. He provides opportunities, but I don’t foresee us digging up $30,000 in our backyard anytime soon.  We have to be more proactive.  We’ve saved about half the cost so far, but have a long way to go.  Here is what’s in the plan so far:
  • We are cutting back on our spending
  • I’m looking to get more tutoring jobs after school
  • Josh is making some prints to sell on Etsy
  • We are looking for things to sell on Ebay
  • Josh’s sister, Caitlin, is offering family photo sessions for her photography business at no profit to herself.  She is also helping to design and sell shirts. 
  • Someone came up with an idea to have a Zumbathon fundraiser, which I LOVE! 
Does anyone else have ideas?  Would anyone be willing to help put together a benefit?  How could we get the word out?  I’m all ears.  Send me your ideas! 

Perhaps I shouldn’t be posting while I’m in this mood, but I’ve had lot of difficult thoughts lately.  In reading and listening to speakers, and searching my own heart, I know God is calling me to something bigger than myself…bigger than the adoption after it’s all said and done, but I’m afraid.  Afraid of my life being flipped from the comforts I have.  I am learning to let go, but afraid of letting it all go. My safe life here in good ole’ beautiful WV, with awesome friends, a great job, a cozy house.  While listening with our  small group to Francis Chan’s audio book, Forgotten God, I was yet again challenged by an idea he presented.  Why do I want GOD?



Why do we want God? For more power?  of course not. I don’t desire to be powerful.  For a better life?  Well no…I don’t seek God in order to have more blessings in my life.  But the more I thought about it, perhaps I do seek God for a better life.  I seek him, because without him, I don’t know how I’d plow through life’s challenges.  Here I am again, asking God to follow ME through life, and not vice versa.  The question was posed, “Do you want God, because you truly want to KNOW him?”  Well, I thought I did.  But REALLY knowing God means knowing his son, and what he went through.  To suffer. To be rejected, To lose.  Lose everything so he can be glorified? Am I able to willingly ask to know him better, knowing full well that I may be asking for great suffering? I’m working on it.  The book referenced one of my favorite passages, Ephesians 3:16-19. It’s basically a prayer asking God to pour his Holy Spirit in us, strengthening us with a power that can only come from him. That we will finally understand his great love for us.  Great verse, right?  So important I’ve underlined the verses, read them countless times and memorized them to use in my prayers.  But as I looked back into my bible, I realized that I’ve failed to see the importance of the verse directly AFTER it, which shifts from the focus on us to a focus on him.  (Ephesians 3:20).

20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!

Ouch. 

Do other people on this similar journey feel alone, like I do sometimes?  I’m tired of talking the talk.  I’m ready to talk and struggle with the real thing.  The real letting go. What are we waiting for?  

Thanks for keeping up, and for praying!   We can’t wait to share better news with you. 

Love,

Josh and Jen