High & Low -

When small group comes to an end, and we don't have much time, I initiate "High and Low".  A "high" of the week - a highlight, praise, or overall good thing.  A "low" of the week is just that - a prayer request for a not-so-good thing.  They're easy to identify throughout your week, and can be talked about - and prayed about - fairly quickly.

So this week, I bring you MY high and low...

HIGH -
I "got my Pinterest on" a while ago, and took a fairly large black picture frame, put a subtle patterned material in it, and hung it in the dining room.  Every week, we take a dry-erase marker and write on the glass a short and simple Bible verse.  We've been saying the verse at dinner every night.  It has been SUCH a blessing to watch our kids memorize God's Word before our eyes!  It's cool stuff.

This week's verse was "Sing a new song to the Lord".  And boy, did Kate take it literally!  Almost every night this week, she busted out her most creative, non-nonsensical, Jesus-praising, never-ending songs!  And today, walking through a quiet Wal-Mart on a Monday morning, she bursts out at the top of her lungs, "Jeeeee - suuuuus, he is our Kiiiiiiiiing, Jeeeeee-suuuuuus, he is aliiiiiive!!" 

Slightly embarrassed, but totally proud momma.  :)  Praise Him!

I'm excited to think we will be bringing in some boys to a house that will demonstrate scripture like this on a daily basis!  They'll probably think we are weird - or crazy - but I'm looking forward to it.  :)


LOW -
A few situations are heavy on my heart this week - a friend whose 3 year old son (same age as Kate) was diagnosed with Leukemia.  Another friend's 3 year old daughter diagnosed (will be confirmed later this week) with a very, very rare disease that will eventually take her sight and kidneys.  Another family who is dealing with permanent challenges thanks to a brain tumor removed last year.  And yet another friend whose newborn has issues (I don't have many details yet).  Please pray for my friends and their families - their 3-year-olds are really my 3-year-old, and I have been feeling a lot of heartache for them.

What this has to do with fostering - we won't find out a thing about these boys until the day they call us with a placement.  We will find out the most important facts before deciding to take the placement or not, but this most likely will need to be a very quick decision.   There is just this big, black hole of the unknown!  ANY situation could be handed to us!

This is where faith steps in and we trust the Lord with WHATEVER the situation may be.  But in my heart of hearts I know that even if the situation "isn't that bad", or is "an easy case", it will still cause us tremendous heartache.  These boys will still want their real parents, they will still have suffered brokenness and trauma.  There is still a very real possibility the first kids we are placed with won't be adoptable. 

Now I don't dwell on these facts and get depressed everyday, but the truth is, I need to know and embrace this future heartache.  I need to remember the heartache will be part of the process.  I need to remember that it is better to feel heartache than to not feel at all, and I need to remember I serve a God who feels this heartache with me and wants to heal it.  :)

So even though my low has been heavy this week, I praise the One who wipes away tears, who heals, who was heartbroken at our disobedience first, who loves us even in our mess, and who brings perspective in light of eternity.  And that is a praise, my friends.  :)