3.13.2010

These Are The Days...

...I am going to miss the most when he's grown. 
As I put my sweet little babe to bed at his Grandma's house the other night, he fell asleep so quickly and looked so peaceful. His face was so tender and his breathing soft and steady. I laid there and stared at him for the longest time (before falling asleep for a few minutes myself). I kept thinking back to his life before us, to Ethiopia, to his birth family, to the tragedy he experienced at such a young age. My mind was flooded yet again with questions and concerns about how to raise our son to be confident, to understand the sorrow of life in light of Jesus. It seems like an impossible task. I often ask myself, "Will he be able to stare his tragedy in the face and embrace it as his story? Will he filter it all through the love of Jesus and boldy and confidently stand strong in who he is?" So many thoughts, so many questions. So many things I simply cannot protect him from no matter how hard I try. So my solution to all of this? Jesus. We will constantly and continually strive to show him Jesus: who Jesus is, what He has done for us, what He means to our everyday life, what He means to who we are individually, what He means to our everyday life, complete with its joys and sorrows. That is the answer to it all... the solution we find comfort and rest in... Jesus.

4 comments:

Amber said...

What a sweet picture. I have had the same questions swirling around my brain lately. My new mantra is "Jesus I trust in you" and I think I say that about 100 times a day.

Elizabeth Isaak said...

Great post, I wholeheartedly agree. And by the way, no worries about missing those precious moments like the one in the picture. My oldest son is 5 1/2 and he still wants to snuggle with his Mommy. I hold on to those moments because I know at some point, I will be the dumbest person alive to him (roundabout puberty?)

Julie said...

Amen, my friend.

Kristin said...

Hi Rachael,
Sorry its been a couple of weeks - had a computer fail so had to get a new one, set it up, figure it out, etc...etc...all that fun stuff!

I love your post! Thank you for sharing this - apart from Jesus we are nothing and can do nothing - to him be all praise and glory!

Bethany says our wait time for a refferal is 6-18mos. We are requesting a healthy boy 0-18mos. Birth order is important to us so we are prayerful that our wait time is on the shorter end.

Do you have any reading recommendations? I have read a slew of books already, but do you have "not to miss" books and books to gain more insight to Ethiopia?

Hugs to you - enjoy your time with family. I love the picture! -K