Christmas Miracles...And Something Greater

Friday morning I woke up to one of the greatest kid in the world peering into my bedroom.  It was my soon to be 6 year old niece, Emma.  She had spent the night at "Grammy and Pop Pops" house while Nate and I were visiting for Thanksgiving.  The deal was if she spent the night, I would be responsible for her in the morning!  I loved every minute of it.  The morning consisted of us wrapping up in the electric blanket wathing cartoons, taking a drive over to Starbucks for a special hot chocolate, singing at the top of our lungs in the car with Uncle Nate, and finishing off the morning with cinnamon rolls from Burger King!  It was a good morning.

I have learned to savor the moments I am given with family.  In fact, this Thanksgiving I found myself craving every minute I could get to have conversations with my sister, hang out with my Mom and Dad, and just be around my nieces (the only thing missing was my little sis and family all the way in Boston).  Family has been and continues to be an indesribable joy in my life.  I am already counting down the days until Christmas when we can all be together again.

Every time I am with my family, I imagine what it will be like when our little ones enter the picture.  I want them to experience how rich our traditions are.  I want them to understand the depth of love that comes from family.  I want them to understand sisterhood the way my sisters and I have experienced it.  I want them to know and come to love my mom and dad and see what unconditional love really looks like.  I want them to experience our craziness (and if you know the Long family, you know, WE ARE CRAZY!).  I want them to fall in love with the family I love with everything inside of me.

We are offically entering the Christmas season and I have tried really hard not to focus on praying for a "Christmas Miracle."  In fact, I told myself that I wouldn't say those words this year...that I would just let things happen.  And then I spent time with my family this weekend and realized just how much we want this to happen.  And then my friend Jenny sent me this video (which by the way I read before I went to my board meeting...not a good idea!).  And then I realized...God can do anything.  And so...I'm praying.

The past few months Nate and I have been running early in the mornings.  About a month and a half ago, I found myself praying for our children in Ethiopia during the second half of our run.  At first I prayed for their safety, for their health, and that someone would be there to take care of them.  Then one day, the word "Immanuel" kept popping into my head and my prayer began to change.  "God...be Immanuel to my children...be God with them...with me...with us."  Deep in my heart, I am still praying for a Christmas miracle (I would be crazy not to!).  I am praying that our children would know in their hearts that one day they will be united with a forever family who has developed a deep love for them already.  More than that, I pray that our children wherever they may lay their heads tonight and all nights would know that there is a God who holds their hands, their hearts, and their dreams.  Immanuel...God with us...may we be reminded of the same.

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