I was touched in church on Sunday by the praise song "God of This City." We sang the words as we watched the screen filled with photos from needy places from all over the world. I have been repeating the words in my head a hundred times since:
Greater things have yet to come. Greater things have still to be done here.
I don't want this adoption story to define us. I don't want this to be the end of our story. I don't want what started out to be a "life mission" to leave us too busy and preoccupied to see beyond ourselves. Taking "time out" for the past 18 months was ok and understandable. Our family needed to be careful with our time and energy to adjust as a new family.
But now, we need to turn back to where we started. We need to be a family who serves and sees beyond our own circumstances. We know the joy and peace that comes! As we kick off our new church school year with small group studies on Prayer, that will be our overarching prayer: that Bruce and I can be examples for our kids by having a renewed focus on WHY we were placed here...in this place and time...and with the specific people we come into contact with.
The adoption of Pierre and Ange-Laurette was simply ONE of his many callings for us. We are confident that it is not our only calling...or our last calling! It was a BIG one, yes. It stretched us (and continues to challenge us) like we never imagined. But it would be a shame to think that we could now "coast."
During that song in church last week, I could hear Pierre singing his heart out. He can now read most of the words, which is a treat for him. When we were praying and the pastor asked us to think of various things to bring before God, I also could hear Pierre. His loud whispers went on and on, as he laid his head on his hands on the chair in front of him. I can guess what he was praying...the same thing he prays each night: that there would be food on every table, that help would come to those in need, that everyone would know that God is there and watching out for them, and that we would always remember to read the Bible to know what God has to say. That boy's testimony will be priceless!
