One year. One BEAUTIFUL year. Today marks one year that Dustin and I have been employed by the Alabama Baptist Children's Home. That year has brought more frustration, learning, laughter, JOY, tears, and fulfilment than I could have ever imagined. I have seen families put back together and forever separated. I have seen children learn to thrive and grow and I have also seen them push as hard as they can and go down a way that is probably not the best. I have fallen more in love with my Dustin Lee than I knew possible. I have come to understand God's heart on adoption more deeply. I have learned the peace and freedom that comes from being directly in the center of God's will for my life. I have learned that I never want to be out of that will.
When Dustin and I got hired for this job, I was a little scared but not too much. I was just flat out excited. We could see God's hand all over the situation and really felt God wouldn't let us say no. Boy, am I glad we didn't try to. The blessing and growth we would have missed out on by keeping our 'normal' lives would have been detrimental. In a year we have had over 30 children live in our home. I have handled panic attacks, monsters in closets, skinned knees, throw up, a baby who wouldn't leave my hip, medication adjustments, sadness over missing parents, problems at school,lice, and so much more. I have laughed with children, celebrated birthdays, seen the excitement of gifts from Santa and the Easter Bunny, gotten to explain the real meaning behind CHRISTmas and Easter, cheered on kids to try something new, gotten hugs of gratitude, seen children come to know Jesus as their Savior, witnessed baptisms, 'thank you' that last a lifetime, and a homemade Mother's Day card that I will keep forever.
The growth I feel in myself over this past year is more than I can explain. I screw up at this job EVERYDAY. I blow up over something stupid, just flat out handle something wrong, misunderstand, get too angry, or something else just ugly. I never want anyone to think that this job is easy. It isn't. But I also don't like it when someone says "oh, it takes someone special to do that." While I appreciate the kindness meant to be implied, it does not take someone special. It just took someone willing to tell God "yes". He daily gives me the mercy and grace to pour out over these children. I have walked closer with Jesus this past year than ever before, I had to. I am having a blast because I am letting Jesus control my heart and my movements. I screw up when I momentarily try to take some of that control back, and the blow ups happen way more often than I would like. BUT the peace that I have found this year is just so much fun to walk in. I see God in so much more. I hear from God so much more often.
I took this job thinking how much of a blessing I would get to be to kids, but that was so wrong. I get blessed daily by these kids, my coworkers, churches who donate or visit, and just random situations. I always say that I will do this job forever, but I have to quickly correct myself. I will do this job as long as Jesus allows. Dustin and I are very much on the same page though, if He calls us somewhere else tomorrow, we will go. We never want to be out of God's will for our lives. When there is a calling on your life and you get to experience that blessing that comes from it, you never want to be out from under it. If God leaves us at ABCH until the day we die, we will be perfectly happy there. Our contentment is in Jesus, not this job, but we sure are glad His calling is this place right now.
When Dustin and I got hired for this job, I was a little scared but not too much. I was just flat out excited. We could see God's hand all over the situation and really felt God wouldn't let us say no. Boy, am I glad we didn't try to. The blessing and growth we would have missed out on by keeping our 'normal' lives would have been detrimental. In a year we have had over 30 children live in our home. I have handled panic attacks, monsters in closets, skinned knees, throw up, a baby who wouldn't leave my hip, medication adjustments, sadness over missing parents, problems at school,lice, and so much more. I have laughed with children, celebrated birthdays, seen the excitement of gifts from Santa and the Easter Bunny, gotten to explain the real meaning behind CHRISTmas and Easter, cheered on kids to try something new, gotten hugs of gratitude, seen children come to know Jesus as their Savior, witnessed baptisms, 'thank you' that last a lifetime, and a homemade Mother's Day card that I will keep forever.
The growth I feel in myself over this past year is more than I can explain. I screw up at this job EVERYDAY. I blow up over something stupid, just flat out handle something wrong, misunderstand, get too angry, or something else just ugly. I never want anyone to think that this job is easy. It isn't. But I also don't like it when someone says "oh, it takes someone special to do that." While I appreciate the kindness meant to be implied, it does not take someone special. It just took someone willing to tell God "yes". He daily gives me the mercy and grace to pour out over these children. I have walked closer with Jesus this past year than ever before, I had to. I am having a blast because I am letting Jesus control my heart and my movements. I screw up when I momentarily try to take some of that control back, and the blow ups happen way more often than I would like. BUT the peace that I have found this year is just so much fun to walk in. I see God in so much more. I hear from God so much more often.
I took this job thinking how much of a blessing I would get to be to kids, but that was so wrong. I get blessed daily by these kids, my coworkers, churches who donate or visit, and just random situations. I always say that I will do this job forever, but I have to quickly correct myself. I will do this job as long as Jesus allows. Dustin and I are very much on the same page though, if He calls us somewhere else tomorrow, we will go. We never want to be out of God's will for our lives. When there is a calling on your life and you get to experience that blessing that comes from it, you never want to be out from under it. If God leaves us at ABCH until the day we die, we will be perfectly happy there. Our contentment is in Jesus, not this job, but we sure are glad His calling is this place right now.
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