Life Unexpected

Five years ago, Christmas morning, I sat around the dining room table with my family, struggling to choose joy in the midst of an adoption journey that had caused me to question whether we too would have kids sitting around the table one Christmas.  We had already been waiting two years to be matched with a child half way around the world, a child that we believed God had called us to be his forever family.  The match seemed no where's in sight.  That Christmas, if I would have described my life as a tapestry, the only description would have been a pile of messy threads in which I struggled to find a beauty. Fast forward to this morning, five years later.  We are at the same table, with the same family, but this time with two new blessings that have allowed us to catch a glimpse of this unbelievable tapestry he's been creating of our lives.  The blessings have come from the other side of the world, one from Ethiopia and one from India, two littles who have changed our pers

"Be strong and courageous...the Lord will be with you wherever you go (Deuteronomy 1:9)."  That verse seemed to be the one God had chosen for me over the past three weeks of my life.  I had read those words over and over in multiple devotionals, been texted those words from several friends, and stumbled on them continually as I started on a journey that would prove to be one that required strength. God must have a sense of humor, because for both of our adoptions, we were given 1-4 days to prepare to fly across the world to pick up our kiddos (opposed to the typical 2 week notice).  I kind of think it was a good thing, because when you're given 48 hours to buy plane tickets, pack, and get your work covered, there's not a whole lot of time left to worry.  That's what the 17 hour flight is for. Before we left, our social worker had told us that we should keep our expectations low when it comes to how our day would go in meeting and bringing home our dau

I’m sitting on a plane, currently watching my son sleep soundly next to me, on our way home from a quick trip to my parent’s house.   It’s hard to believe that in less than 48 hours, I will be flying out yet again, but this time to bring home our daughter, Madhavi.   Even as I write those words, I can hardly believe them and feel like I have to pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming. This past summer, Biruk said to me, rather a matter of fact, “Madhavi is going to be home for my birthday.”   To which I said, “Buddy…it’s going to take a miracle for that to happen.”   Fast forward several months and that miracle has found it’s birth in a season of our life where we least expected it.    On Monday, I decided very last minute to fly home with Biruk to visit my parents.   My mom had recently had knee surgery, I had few free days, and I hadn’t been home since last Christmas, so it sounded like a great plan.   The night before we left, I was putting Biruk to bed and said to him