This Precious Child

It is now after 8:30 and the supper dishes are still on the table, the cat threw up on the carpet, the bills are still waiting to be paid and the pile of mail has started to decrease but is still a huge pile. But here I sit at the computer taking the time to catch up with several families that I feel like I have been on the journey with. At this point so many of them have been home for a little while, have finished their court dates or just waiting on the court date. It continues to bless my heart to see how all these little children are doing.

Last night I finally finished unpacking the suitcases. I still have lots to put away, especially papers and papers and papers!! But as I put the suitcases up in the attic, I was hit with the realization that this was the first time in over 2 years that I did not have a suitcase packed to go to Russia. My dossier was submitted in January 2006 and at that time referrals were coming in within a month, so I stated gathering things and putting them in the suitcase. As you know from reading the blog or living the journey with me, that things didn't quite turn out the way I thought they were going to, hence the never unpacked suitcase. What a great feeling it is to not be living in the land of limbo.

I posted yesterday at nap time and the rest of the day ended up being a blast. After she woke up, I remembered some children's Cd's that my friend Karen gave me. I put one of the "silly songs' on and she danced and danced. Thankfully I caught it on video before the battery died. What a hoot!! Later that night, my mom came over for dinner. We were batting around 3 helium balloons. On a whim I grabbed the balloons and began running around the house with them and Natalie chasing me. I don't think either of us (or my mom for that matter) had laughed so hard for so long!!

Today we ran a few errands and then headed to my job. So many people were happy to see her and I was able to get all the details worked out to get her on my benefits. My coworkers and I went out to lunch and little Natalie was battling sleep waiting on lunch to arrive, which finally got there at 12:45 so close to her normal nap time. But she ate like a trooper. I thought surely this little girl will sleep the 35 minute ride home. She finally feel asleep the last 20 minutes and as soon as we pulled into the driveway, woke up. Being the "good" mama that I am I put her in the bed to go to sleep at 2:00. By 2:45 she was still sitting up refusing to give into the much needed sleep. Part of me was feeling frustrated by the fact that she wouldn't go to sleep when I knew she really needed it and part of me wanted to continue to get all these tasks done in the house. As I went back into her room for the 4th time, I was so reminded of the comments my coworker Lisa had shared at lunch. She shared about the sermon on Sunday and the importance of family. I won't go into all the details she shared, but I was convicted of my focus on the "things I needed to get done." I was also reminded that this little child of mine has lived in 4 places in just 2 1/2 weeks. Because she is so mature, helpful and independent, I often forget just how fragile and young she is. As all of these things came pouring into my mind and heart gently by the Lord, I was just so humbled by this precious gift I have. So I got her out of the bed and sat in the rocking chair with the blinds closed and just held her and rocked and rocked for an hour. Neither of us said anything the entire time and at times I think she would drift off, but wake herself back up. There was just something so special about the quiet, the darkness and when she finally realized I wasn't asleep (I had my eyes closed during the rocking) we just whispered to each other. She kept wrapping her arms around my neck and giving me hugs. Something special happened during that time and as one friend shared how a lady in her prayer group has been praying that our hearts would be knitted together, I do believe that some serious knitting was done. Surely the Lord does use the little children to teach us some many things. I am so grateful that I have this additional month off from work. I am glad that I don't have to rush off in the morning and leave her behind. I am also grateful for the lessons that I am learning through this precious child.