Friday, February 10, 2012

HOME SWEET HOME



We have officially been home for 13 days.  It has been nothing short of a whirlwind.  Our lives are so crazy right now that this weekend we are celebrating family Christmas.  On Valentine’s weekend.  Two days ago, as I was headed out the door to take the kids to their first day of school, Rod had to stop me and tell me my shirt was on backwards.  Yesterday, Nick’s teacher sent home information about his upcoming project.  I nearly cried.  At this point in the process, I am doing well to shower and brush my teeth on a daily basis.  More stuff that I am not making up.  It’s not just that we have 3 new kids in the house.  It’s stuff I didn’t even think about. Like yelling up the stairs “Time for dinner”, then realizing they don’t know what I am saying.  Or explaining for the umpteenth time that in America, we shower more than once a week.  And we put toilet paper in the potty instead of the garbage can.  And it’s ok to step on a spider in the house (they have the superstition that if you step on a spider in the house, you will lose all your money).  They are also flabbergasted that although I do not work outside the home now, Rod still shares money with me.  This has caused many questions.  Everything, and I mean everything, takes so much time.  So if you run into me at Target (who has time to stroll at The Avenue??) and I am wearing last week’s makeup or I call you by the wrong name or I wish you Happy Thanksgiving, just overlook it.  Each day we make new progress.  And each day, we mesh as a family a little bit more.  We have started school, and while it isn’t easy and much work needs to be done, they are courageous enough to step out each morning into a very uncomfortable and unfamiliar situation and try.  I can’t imagine how scary that must be.  Everything for them is new and different. “Family” is a brand new word for them.  They have never experienced having a Mom and Dad, a full pantry and refrigerator, their own clothes, riding bicycles, attending church regularly, having someone hug them good morning and good night, or someone to ask them about their day at school. Two out of three of them like school. Two out of three like church. None of them like that Americans are so loud.  None of them like to be in chaotic situations.  And none of them like that everyone is looking at them.  They feel “on display”.  Nonetheless, they are, for the most part, glad to be here.  If they could figure out a way to get rid of the new rules that they aren’t used to, life would be goodJ

I think it’s true for all of us that there are days we lose perspective of our purpose.  Sometimes, we are just trying to get through the never-ending demands of the day.  Today, God gave me fresh perspective.  He reminded me of His amazing, humbling, God-sized calling on our family’s lives.  He reminded me that I am the Mom to three kids who are wounded beyond words, who aren’t sure if we are safe or trustworthy yet, who are desperate for a family, and even more desperate for a Savior.  If that means that I sit and hold them and sing to them all day instead of catch up the laundry, so be it.  I am so grateful that God used the obedience of our good friend and Student Pastor to our boys to remind me today. I had about two free minutes to glance at Facebook.  I quickly scrolled through the posts and skipped past the complaints and rants and updates about last night’s dinner.  And then I stopped dead in my tracks. Tears flowed and my heart swelled as I looked at Matt’s picture from Kenya.  There he was, holding the frail hand of a sick lady and praying with this precious one.  She had just surrendered her life to the Lord.  Not to sound creepy, but I looked at that picture at least 10 times today.  I couldn’t let it go.  I don’t know her name, but I know that I am going to spend eternity with her.  All because one believer chose to carry the Savior’s Name to her.  He chose to meet her physical need of hunger and then meet her spiritual need.  He chose to go to the hard places this week.  It was inconvenient and tiring and uncomfortable.  Matt’s trip to Kenya was an act of worship.  To be honest, my prayer is that his obedience will fuel a passion within our student ministry to carry His Great Name into all the world.  Imagine what would happen if the passion went beyond student ministry, and parents began to be willing to go to the hard places.  And today, as I stared at that picture, I became so aware that that same opportunity exists in my home now.  So many physical and emotional needs must be met, so that we can begin to meet spiritual needs.  We’ve got to be willing to be inconvenienced.  Obedience is messy sometimes.  But so was the Cross. 

We’ve come a long way in just a few days, but boy do we have a long way to go.  AnnaBelle is beginning to learn to match her clothes (I started teaching her how to lay her outfits out in “pinterest style”. Not kidding). She is riding her new bike with training wheels and learning to help me cook. She has also learned to answer the telephone within 3 seconds of the first ring. Her English is getting better each day and several times she has asked me to stop using Russian words with her. She loves her teacher at school and making new friends. She hates bedtime.  Nick is thrilled with the opportunity to make new friends at school. He greets everyone each morning like he is running for political office. He learned to ride a bicycle in about 15 minutes.  He says American girls are “wow wow wow”.  He got his song flute at school yesterday and it was just a wonderful moment for him.  He screeched that blessed thing all afternoon.  He insists that I gel his hair every morning, and then he stands back and looks in the mirror and whistles at himself.  He also hates bedtime and struggles to believe that he is smart and wonderful.  Evan started school 3 days ago.  He was beyond thrilled at the opportunity to hang out with the soccer (futbol) team at school, and had me to “drive fast, Mozzer” to Dick’s after his first day to get him soccer cleats and shin guards.  He has learned to fish and is his happiest when he is not required to go anywhere and he can just fish.  Maybe he is a good ol Southern boy at heart.  He is daily picking up more English and is currently begging for a new big dog.  He wants a boxer named Jackie Chan.  He doesn’t mind bedtime. He hates getting up (just like his Mom). He hates being inside for any reason, and he loves that the ducks in the neighborhood pond now come eat out of his hand when he shows up.  Every day.  Jarrod, Logan, and Parker are, as always, utter joy to us.  All three have given me much needed advice throughout this journey when I couldn’t think for myself anymore.  They are Godly men with a passion to know Him and make Him known.  They are also very patient with their floundering mother and new siblings.  And Rod, he is the love of my life.  He is a selfless, courageous man who is willing to lay down his life and his rights and his time and his heart and his possessions.  Every woman should be so blessed.  He is a precious earthly father to our kids, always portraying an incredible picture of their much needed Heavenly Father.
To top it all off, it is starting to appear that I will indeed get to take a shower today.  Gotta hurry before there is a new “crisis”.  Please please please keep praying.