What I have learned from my daughters

This past week I have had time to reflect on my daughters' lives and all that God has done. I am truly blessed not only to be the mother of these three priceless treasures who have stolen my heart, but I am blessed to have a daily reminder of God's goodness and grace as well His lovingkindness. I am often awe struck when I consider that I am right in the middle of the greatest love story ever told.

I adopted E when she was just 11 months old. She was very frail and weak. She weighed a mere 13 pounds, could not even hold up her head, and slept most of the time. Despite her frailty, E had the most tender spirit you will ever find in a girl. In a nurturing environment of love and nutrition, E thrived. It was not long before she caught up with other children her age. When I see E I am daily reminded of how God gives strength to the weary, how He bestows upon us beauty for ashes. He brings hope when there is no hope.

O was adopted at 15 months old. She did not embrace her new family readily. The first year or two of her time with our family was very difficult, for her and for the rest of the family. She was outwardly healthy, but inwardly was filled with anger and hurt. Even at such a young age, she had built barriers around her heart. The orphanage staff told me that she liked to cry alot. We did find that to be true. But I have seen first hand that God is near to the brokenhearted. He comforts those who mourn and pours His oil of gladness on our heads. Today, almost five years after joining our family, O likes to laugh. She laughs from the bottom of her heart and laughs often. She now loves to be loved. I am reminded that many times our wounds are deeper than what can be seen with the eye but there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God.

C recently joined our family this past Thanksgiving. She was 19 months old at the time. Since we have been home, she has undergone much testing of her heart. When C was 3 months old she had 2 holes repaired in her heart. The first was closed with stitches. The second was a large hole. I just read a report this week from her cardiologist that caused my heart to be filled with thanksgiving. While I knew that C's VSD was large and that her repair had been completed very well, I had not realized that it either butted up to or included part of her aortic valve. The end result is that she is expected to now live a normal and long life. What a story of God's mercy and grace. If God had not intervened in C's life, she more than likely would not be alive now. Her story reminds me each day that we are never out of God's sight. He knows every need we have even when we are powerless to care for ourselves. He restores our hearts and renews our souls.

He is a God of love and hope, peace and joy, mercy and grace. Oh to be a part of that on a daily basis. I can truly say that His goodness and mercy follow me all of my days. I stand in awe that I can be counted among the servants of the Most High God, and I am humbled that I am able to call Him my friend.