Let them thank the Lord for His steadfast love, for His wondrous works to the children of men! For He satisfies the longing soul and the hungry soul He fills with good things. Psalm 107:8,9
It's hard to believe 2 years have passed since Mercy and Odesco's homecoming!! With the passage of time, they are continuing to be woven into the fabric of our family. Over the past few days,we have been unpacking the myriad of boxes containing our Christmas treasures. This will be Mercy and Odesco's 3rd Christmas with us...a fact Mercy can't quite wrap her brain around since we are just celebrating the 2 year anniversary of their Homecoming today . She especially is finding great joy as we unwrap ornaments,unpack decorations, and peruse our wide assortment of Christmas story books. She has 2 years of Christmas memories tied to many of the items we are taking out. I am seeing how these traditions are helping her to sink her roots deeply into the life of our family.
Mercy asked yesterday if I was excited the night before she and Odesco flew in to JFK airport. She has heard the stories of how Luke slept in a box with blanket and pillow on the family room floor (the box to Odesco's car seat!), and how the other kids slept on the couch the night before their homecoming because they were so excited to meet their new Liberian siblings. I truthfully assured her that, yes, it was just as exciting as our time in the hospital awaiting the birth of her 4 siblings. This morning she asked to watch the video of her and Odesco's homecoming. They thoroughly enjoy seeing the video of us anxiously awaiting their arrival and then of course the big moment when we saw them for the very first time. We continued watching the footage of their first week home. After the video was over, Mercy then began to lament the fact that she no longer remembered a few of the songs she had sung on tape that she had learned at the orphanage. I called her over to me and asked if that made her sad...then I asked her if anything else was making her sad and the floodgates opened as she climbed into my lap for a good cry over missing her Liberian Ma. G came over to offer support and patted her back~ and as quickly as this emotion erupted, it was gone again with Mercy asking," Where does the salt from my tears come from?"
This is the sad and unavoidable side of adoption... while our adopted children have been removed from a life of poverty, disease, and hunger, they( primarily Mercy so far) understandably mourn and grieve over what(and of course, who) was left behind. I am grateful that Mercy especially is beginning to appropriately express her sadness. A few weeks ago we had another breakthrough similar in nature to what I described above...another step in healing and another step in her adjustment to life here.
I often use the illustration of a sunflower (her favorite flower) with Mercy. I tell her the Lord scooped her out of the soil of Liberia and planted her here in America. In order for her to grow strong, she needs to allow her roots to grow deeply by receiving the love of her family and friends, by responding to biblical instruction, and by believing that this is part of God's wise and perfect plan for her life. During her first summer here, Mercy planted a sunflower seed...we were so excited to see it growing when a summer storm blew in one afternoon and pummeled that poor sunflower until it was horizontal on the ground. The shallow roots had been ripped right out of the soil. Mercy was so sad that day about her flower and so was I, as it represented another loss for her. That pathetic flower has provided a vivid illustration to Mercy of what will happen if she does not allow her roots to grow deeply where the Lord in His goodness has now planted her.
This morning to celebrate their homecoming, I gave Mercy and Odesco African ornaments to hang on the tree. Seeing them delight in the traditions surrounding Christmas has helped me to recognize that these indeed help to anchor their roots into their life here. Listening to Mercy express her fond memories of the past 2 Christmas seasons (thankfully none of them had to do with gifts but with things we do around this special time of year) makes my mommy heart glad knowing that she is feeling like a 'belonger' and identifying more and more with being an integral member of our family. These 2 years have been intense with transition and at times a bit tumultuous but I stand amazed at all the Lord has done in such a brief time. He is indeed at work and it is good for me to stand back and consider the great things He has done-To God be the glory!!!
Mercy asked yesterday if I was excited the night before she and Odesco flew in to JFK airport. She has heard the stories of how Luke slept in a box with blanket and pillow on the family room floor (the box to Odesco's car seat!), and how the other kids slept on the couch the night before their homecoming because they were so excited to meet their new Liberian siblings. I truthfully assured her that, yes, it was just as exciting as our time in the hospital awaiting the birth of her 4 siblings. This morning she asked to watch the video of her and Odesco's homecoming. They thoroughly enjoy seeing the video of us anxiously awaiting their arrival and then of course the big moment when we saw them for the very first time. We continued watching the footage of their first week home. After the video was over, Mercy then began to lament the fact that she no longer remembered a few of the songs she had sung on tape that she had learned at the orphanage. I called her over to me and asked if that made her sad...then I asked her if anything else was making her sad and the floodgates opened as she climbed into my lap for a good cry over missing her Liberian Ma. G came over to offer support and patted her back~ and as quickly as this emotion erupted, it was gone again with Mercy asking," Where does the salt from my tears come from?"
This is the sad and unavoidable side of adoption... while our adopted children have been removed from a life of poverty, disease, and hunger, they( primarily Mercy so far) understandably mourn and grieve over what(and of course, who) was left behind. I am grateful that Mercy especially is beginning to appropriately express her sadness. A few weeks ago we had another breakthrough similar in nature to what I described above...another step in healing and another step in her adjustment to life here.
I often use the illustration of a sunflower (her favorite flower) with Mercy. I tell her the Lord scooped her out of the soil of Liberia and planted her here in America. In order for her to grow strong, she needs to allow her roots to grow deeply by receiving the love of her family and friends, by responding to biblical instruction, and by believing that this is part of God's wise and perfect plan for her life. During her first summer here, Mercy planted a sunflower seed...we were so excited to see it growing when a summer storm blew in one afternoon and pummeled that poor sunflower until it was horizontal on the ground. The shallow roots had been ripped right out of the soil. Mercy was so sad that day about her flower and so was I, as it represented another loss for her. That pathetic flower has provided a vivid illustration to Mercy of what will happen if she does not allow her roots to grow deeply where the Lord in His goodness has now planted her.
This morning to celebrate their homecoming, I gave Mercy and Odesco African ornaments to hang on the tree. Seeing them delight in the traditions surrounding Christmas has helped me to recognize that these indeed help to anchor their roots into their life here. Listening to Mercy express her fond memories of the past 2 Christmas seasons (thankfully none of them had to do with gifts but with things we do around this special time of year) makes my mommy heart glad knowing that she is feeling like a 'belonger' and identifying more and more with being an integral member of our family. These 2 years have been intense with transition and at times a bit tumultuous but I stand amazed at all the Lord has done in such a brief time. He is indeed at work and it is good for me to stand back and consider the great things He has done-To God be the glory!!!
~Thanking Him today for adding these 2 precious children to our family and for granting us abundant grace in the midst of it all !!
Love,MamaB
Mercy and Odesco celebrating Homecoming Day 2008!!
A close up of their African ornaments...the material on these is quite similar to the pattern on their Liberian outfits that they have both since outgrown!
Although we did not get out for Liberian food today, they did get to eat Thanksgiving leftovers and boy were they pleased to get 'the bone'!! No meat goes to waste with these 2!
Last night we took the kids to see a local (tacky!!) Christmas display...Odesco declared,"That was the boringest place I've ever been!" He certainly brightened up when we pulled out the McD's coupons from Mrs. Di---Thanks, Mrs. Di--you saved the evening!!
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