Just wanted to share a few more photos. If you have the time, click on the photo above...there are captions this time, oh the joy :)!
So....how have you been? I have been fine, but burdened. I have almost finished the book, "There's No Me Without You" (thanks to BooMama for having it on her fall reading list). I decided to read this book thinking it was just another book on adoption/care for orphans in Ethiopia. I've read tons of books on adoption. Mostly ones related to China, so I didn't think any big deal about reading this one. Oh my goodness, was I wrong! I know I tend to live in my own little world and don't watch the national news and I don't have cable so I don't watch news programs in general, but I had no conscious idea of all the children in Africa orphaned by AIDS. I was basically clueless. This book is so educational. It reads like a text book on the AIDS crisis in Ethiopia. I have been floored by this. Much to my dismay my heart has been completely taken in by the orphans there. I have taken forever(weeks) to read this book and since I read fast it just shows how little I could take in at one time. It was just too much information.
A couple of months before reading this book I was chatting with the Lord "you know, Lord, I can see why people get addicted to adoption. It gives purpose and meaning to the mundane day to day life of things. It gives me focus and a goal and I love the end result so much that I could do it again and again, but David says we are done, so now, Lord, what do I do? What is to be my goal now?" He clearly spoke to my heart "raise the children I have given you. Finish the job well." I remember then thinking, duh....that is the truth, Lord, getting them here wasn't really the hard part at all....raising them....
that
is the hard part. So, I began to pour myself into my children and to the goal that God had set before me.
Soooo, now I have read this book and I have no idea what to do with this information. I will never be the same. I have cried as I have read the book and I have wept before God and asked Him, "what do I do with this information? what do You want me to do now that I know the need?" I don't have any answers yet, but He will show me.
Of course I have been sharing with David about all that I was learning. You can imagine his reaction to all this orphan talk. On our date over Thanksgiving I shared some more with him....David-"We're done. You will have to get one of your kids to do this one". Me-"Oh, honey, I know we are done. It has just touched my heart and I don't know what to do with all this information" David-"Well, stop reading...no, not really...I don't know what to tell you, but I am too old and we are done." Me, smiling and laughing, "oh honey, don't worry, I wouldn't want to get another child before Matt leaves home and that's at least two years. And then, if we did, I would want an older girl to go between Davie and Catherine. Besides in Ethiopia we can't adopt anyone more than 50 years less than our age and since you are over 50 we would need to get an older child. But, don't worry, we have two years before we need to do anything." David-"Ok. Now can we talk about something else?" All smiles and a fun date with real conversation and food and laughter. A good time was had by all two of us. And do you know how I know this? The next day we celebrated "thankful Saturday"(my made up holiday) and David shared that one of the things he is thankful for is "Jackie's heart for adoption". I was floored!!!! And this was after all my Ethiopia talk!
I have NO idea where this will all lead, but I love the journey of finding out. Maybe it is to be an encouragement to you....maybe YOU need to adopt from Ethiopia :) Much love, Jackie Sue
