Simply Obeying

Today has been a whirlwind day. Lots of cleaning and straightening and cleaning and organizing and cleaning going on. I am about to give up. But first I have to go purchase more outlet covers from the Dollar Store.

If you haven't guessed yet, a Social Worker is coming to our home tonight to check us out and make sure our home will be a safe and loving environment for Leo. While here she will check out smoke detectors, outlet covers and a multitude of other things, but she will also talk one on one with each child to gain their insight into Leo becoming part of our family. The responses should be interesting especially from one certain almost 6 year old boy.

When we talk with people about Leo joining our family the responses range from "Wow, I could never do that" to "you're amazing". The fact is we are just an ordinary family attempting to do our best at following God's will for our family. I was reminded of this verse the other day.

Proverbs 24:12 (New International Version)

¹² If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,”
does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?
Does not he who guards your life know it?
Will he not repay everyone according to what they have done?

We know about Leo, for some reason a social worker thought of our family when Leo's file came across their desk. There is no denying that this little guy deserves a family. Leo might not have been in our plans, but he was in God's plans for our family.

We were ready to adopt again- a toddler- Leo is basically an infant.

We thought- go back to China- Leo is in the USA.

We had some specific special needs in mind- Leo's needs are nothing we feel prepared for.

We gave all our infant stuff away- (I was done with diapers)- Leo will be in diapers for a long time.

Isaiah 55:7-9 (New International Version)

⁸ “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the LORD.
⁹ “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Leo may not be what we had in mind, but slowly he has become a part of our family and we haven't even met him yet! God has expanded our vision and given us a love for this little boy. Not a day goes by that I don't think about him and wonder how he is doing. I wonder how his mom is coping. Is she already grieving for this little boy? My arms are longing to hold him and rock him.

We know it will be a transition that will have ups and downs and be filled with difficulty. Leo will have numerous doctor's appointments and therapies. He will also grieve for the only mom he has ever known. He will miss her smell, her voice, her touch. We will need to grieve with him and yet find ways to help him remember the women who gave birth to him and took care of him for the first year of his life.

God is in control. He has brought Leo into our lives, we may not know why he picked this little guy for us. We don't need to know the why's, we just need to obey. So we are no one's hero, we are simply obeying the still small voice of a God who loves us.