10 Years!

I remember when 10 years seemed like an eternity. People asked me when I was graduating from High School what I thought I would be doing in 10 years. I was sure I would be a movie star, receive a grammy for my music, own my own house, have all of my children and absolutely be a millionaire by then. HA! Now I will say things to my kids like "Oh that song was just a few years back (ie spice girls)." My 16 year old daughter will say "Mom I was in kindergarten then." I'll always have to stop and say "Really?". Ten years goes by very fast as you get older. But when you are a child it really is an eternity.

Ten years ago at this time in June we were at a family reunion in the Brainerd, MN. I remember flying to illinois then driving through WI and eventually ending up in a cabin we all shared very close to Paul Bunyan land....everyone up there had that FARGO accent. Andrew was a baby. Sam was a very sweet 6 year old. Mark and I lived in NY in an apartment we could barely afford. I lived gig to gig. If you would have asked me then what I would be doing in 10 years I would have had no clue but would have hoped to have owned my own home (now I own two---and complain because one hasn't sold). If God would have come to me and whispered in my ear saying "You will have 4 more children all adopted" I would have laughed and said NO. If He would have said "You are going to have 3 African children and go to Ethiopia to get them" Or "You will adopt a sweet baby from Guatemala"..I would have said "No way." At the time I didn't even think I desired that. If He would have said "you will be living in a nice home in North Carolina..." i would have said "Really". And if He would have said "I will replace your worldly desires with a burning passion to adopt My heart in caring for the orphans" I would have said "unbelievable". I could have never predicted my life. I am so happy and have learned so much about living day to day in just believing that GOd will provide.

Tomorrow we are celebrating a first birthday. Grace is turning 10. Ten years ago somewhere in Asela or Gorodella(sp) in Ethiopia Ejigayehu Grace...was born. She was born at home in what was a small shack. THere are no birth records. In parts of ethiopia as many as 40% of the children are not guaranteed to live to see their 5th birthday. It seems ironic to me that here in America where most children live a long life we do celebrate birthdays but in Ethiopia where it is a miracle to live each day...there are no celebrations. I would think that each year a child lives there should be a parade and fireworks to signal that that child now has more hope to live longer as their chances at survival increases. In 10 years Grace has lived with a mother she loved, learned many things like peeling potatoes, doing a handstand, making dolls out of mud but also watching the people she loves die. She has had to leave her home to live with grandmother that tried to care for her but couldn't. She along with her two siblings survived exposure to TB, Hep B, Hep A, Chicken Pox and measles and gruelling ear infections that left holes in their eardrums. But they survived them all and are clear of those infections, illnesses. They made it to Layla House (the orphanage that they lived in for 18 months)..one day they met us..immediately called us mom and dad and took our hand...happily they walked into the air port asking if they were already on the plane as we waited at the gate and flew into a new world where it is okay even at the age of 10 to wish to be a princess and live out things she only dreamed of when she was in Ethiopia. Grace is a miracle. All of our children are miracles. Life is a miracle. Each day is precious. Ten years of her life are so worthy of celebrating. So worthy of the 2 parties, 3 birthday cakes, 2 gallons of ice cream, pizza, a durham bulls baseball game with the African Children's choir...a bunch of presents and her first shopping spree with a 50 dollar gift card from Grandma and Grandpa .....For me, I don't care what she does or becomes next year of 20 years from now but I pray to see her grow to be happy, vibrant, alive and hopefully one day in love. I thank God for the twists and turns in the past 10 years for our family. I no longer say..."I would never do that" because I know God's plans can be massively and sweetly unexpected and I welcome seeing what the next 10 years bring.