The Rest of the Story

Everybody loves a good story. From the time we are kids we love listening to a good book or a grandparent reminiscing about the times of old. As a kid growing up in Iowa, my mom and dad would listen to 1040 WHO radio out of Des Moines. I remember thinking that the radio station was pretty lame because it was just a bunch of talking. But one program always got my attention; "The Rest of the Story" told by the award winning radio host Paul Harvey. Take a listen.

No matter what story he was telling; I couldn't wait to find out the rest of the story.

This reminds me of a very familiar verse when it comes to orphan care, James 1:27, you have probably heard it, but here it is...

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." (NIV)

Did you see the part of the verse I put in bold? Sometimes I feel like we use this verse, but we forget the "rest of the verse," the part in bold. Sometimes we forget that there is no adoption without loss, pain, and grief (distress). When I am reminded of this truth, it gives me more patience and compassion for my children. When I forget this reality, I find myself being impatient and short tempered. It does not take a child psychologist to figure out which one of these responses is best for my kiddos.

Michael Monroe from Empowered to Connect has written a great article entitled "Embracing the Grief of Adoption." You can read it here.

So as we move forward, let's not forget the "Rest of the Verse," but let the "Rest of the Verse" motivate us to love our kids even more.

Update from New Day

Some of you may be aware of our involvement with New Day Foster Home in China. We have visited New Day a couple of times and have done numerous projects to help New Day take care of the children entrusted to them. Here are a few updates from New Day, please note that these are general updates and vague for the reason of protecting the child as well as New Day.

(Girl) is a simple and honest cute little girl, with big eyes. She looks like a doll with beautiful eyelids. Everybody likes her cute, cubby, little body. She likes to play most every day in the game room, reveling in her own world, and swaying to and fro lying on the floor. She is a persistent child, because she will hold her favorite toy from the beginning to the end and never let go. Every time you open your hands to her, she will be very happy for you to hold her in your arms and she enjoys your touch. Her appetite is very good and eats a lot a time. Her sleeping is also very good. We are also excited to share that she has been adopted!

(Girl) is growing (she has grown a whole shoe size in the last month) and flourishing with her new foster family.  She is starting to learn some English words like "out" and "yes" and knows all the members of her new family.  She especially loves playing with her 2 big brothers and 1 big sister.  She wakes up every morning with a big smile on her face and outstretched arms.  She is truly a joy to be around.

(Girl) is a clever and lovely girl. She has an active personality and likes to be on the move. Every time she sees something new, she wants to investigate it. If the object is dangerous, I remove it from her sight. This causes her to pout until she finds a new object to discover. She likes to turn the pages in books, and points to pictures of animals. She enjoys hearing the name of each animal, and is beginning to remember them. We am so proud of her.

You can continue to help children like these receive the surgeries that they need by giving here.