Perspectives From a Three and A Half Year Old...

I have little niece named Emma. She is three and a half and one of my most favorite people in the world. Emma is a trip...she provides constant entertainment and is a blast to be around. I have wondered in the past months how she will relate to a new little cousin of a different race, from a different country, when we finally get our little baby. My Mom called me today and shared with me this conversation she had with Emma, as she was buying something at a yard sale for our little child to be.

Emma: Grammy, who are you buying that toy for?
Grammy: Well, Emma, did you know that Auntie Ang and Uncle Nate and going to be getting a baby from another country?
Emma: No (pause)
Grammy: Yup, they are. But it will be awhile before the baby comes...maybe a year or more. And, when the baby comes, her skin might be dark.
Emma: Oh (pause)....(thinking)...(pause)....Grammy, do you think when the baby comes Auntie Ang would let me come to her house and help the baby and teach the baby things?
Grammy: I think Auntie Ang would love that!

If I am honest, I have often wondered in the past weeks how our baby will adjust to living in a home of a different race and a different culture. I've been reminded today from Emma, that no matter the differences in culture or race, this child will be loved unconditionally by our family. I can't wait for her to meet them!

Comments

  1. PattyJune 14, 2010 at 7:16 PM

    You are absolutely right! That child will be loved unconditionally by everyone in your family. I am so excited for you. Praying too.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Megan JohnstonJune 16, 2010 at 12:26 PM

    And Not just those in your family, but all of us who LOVE YOU GUYS!! Praying for you!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. UnknownJune 21, 2010 at 4:41 AM

    I'm so excited for you two! Your journey reminds me of the saying "If you want to make God laugh tell Him your plans." It's so awesome to see what He does next with you guys!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Mother's Heart...

Image
It was the night before we were ready to leave for Ethiopia that it dawned on me. We hadn’t given the necklace to Biruk yet. When we had exchanged necklaces with his birth mom ten years prior at the orphanage, we had no idea when we would give it to him. We just knew that we wanted him to be old enough to appreciate it, as it would be the only thing he would have from her. We had no idea if we would ever see her again.  There have been several moments in our journey where I’ve had to pinch myself, because it has felt like I was dreaming. That night as we put our final things in our suitcases, took a deep breath, and came to the realization that we were not only taking our kids to Ethiopia, but that Biruk would in fact meet his birth mom…well, you had to pinch me, because it felt like I was dreaming. It also felt like the perfect moment to share this gift that we had been holding onto for 10 years. So we pulled out the necklace and gave it to Biruk. While words can be few and far
Read more

Stories Matter

Image
Yesterday, my family and I found ourselves at a local elementary school’s culture club, presenting about our trip to Ethiopia. Even as I write those words, it kind of blows my mind how God has continued to use our story in unexpected places. When the kids were old enough to understand, we began to talk about taking them back to their birth country when they turned 10. We figured at 10, they would be old enough to be pretty good travelers, but still approach the adventure with a childlike wonder. What we didn’t plan on, was that the year Biruk turned 10 would come on the heels of me taking a brand new job, our family moving to a new state, and buying our very first house, in an economy that felt as though it was tanking!  I remember talking to my counselor one day and sharing with him that while we had always promised this trip to our kids, it just didn’t seem to make financial sense. After all, last time I checked, Southwest Airlines does not travel to Africa. He said something
Read more

Thin Spaces...The Sights and Sounds of Ethiopia

Image
When I was in Seminary, I went on my first Mission Trip to a third world country. I was just two years into my marriage, a young 23 years of age, and I had no idea how the experience would change me. My Dad happened to be taking a team from his church to the Dominican Republic and I needed a cross cultural experience for a class I was taking, so it seemed like a perfect match. That trip not only changed my life, but created this passion to serve in third world countries and was the launching pad for all the mission trips I would get to lead at the churches I was a youth pastor at. By the time I was I reached 40, I had taken 2 more trips to the Dominican Republic, a trip to Costa Rica, a trip to Guatemala, a trip to Africa, and of course 25+ trips to Honduras.  There is something about being in a third world country that feels like home to me. I know that sounds strange, but I have often found myself saying, “I’m my best self here.” They are places that breathe fresh life into me,
Read more