Growing Pains

The other night I was awakened by a little face pressing into mine, a whispering voice cried,"I have a leg ache". I have been a mother for 20 years.....ok wait - wow, 20 years, how did that happen, good grief, 20 years just like that....ok, back to the story. I get woke up all the time, sometimes every night for weeks! When you have 9 children the chances of someone having a tummy, leg, or headache increase immensely! Then there are bad dreams and thunderstorms and barking dogs and howling coyotes! But that night it was a leg ache, a simple growing pain, my 7 year old is growing taller! I got up, grabbed my flashlight and stumbled down stairs for the icy/hot to rub on his leg. I met him in the hallway and directed his pitiful still mostly asleep body back to his bed. As I was rubbing in the medicine he sleepily asked,"why does it hurt to grow?" I didn't have a chance to answer as he drifted off to sleep and was soon snoring. I contemplated his question as I went downstairs to wash my hands. ALWAYS wash your hands after rubbing away a leg ache, if you don't the next morning when you put in your contacts you will experience what it feels like to have your cornea melted!  Don't ask me how I know! Why does it hurt to grow? I don't have the answer on a physical level, although I'm sure I could look it up. But it made me think of all the spiritual growing I have been doing through out this adoption. How God has made me desire, need and desperately seek Him. On my knees, on my face before His throne. Never have I prayed with such conviction, such a burning need to be heard by my Heavenly Father. And you know what? It hurt, it hurts to grow, to realize that I truly am nothing without my Lord. My ways are not His ways, my thoughts are not His thoughts. If our Father had asked me how to best work out this adoption and this time in our lives I surely would not have taken the paths we have been on lately! Sometimes it seems to be a never ending cycle of stress and pain. There are a lot of unknowns in international adoption, a lot of time investment and of course a lot of money. Then there is the prayer. While I might not have chosen the hardships we've been through I can see how God has used those to brings us closer to Him. So many of our "issues" can only be solved through prayer. There has been no other way but a miracle, and in some cases we've gotten just that! Praise God! He does answer prayer!
Things are rolling right along here. We made it past a huge roadblock, and are really trucking now! We had some good news toady from the girls country, families adopting children with special needs will be put at the front of the line for travel! This is Great news, but I'll admit it sent me into a bit of a panic! We are still needing $20,000! Wow, that is a lot of money. We are working on some fundraisers and looking for ideas. And of course, praying!! I'm going to start listing prayer requests at the bottom of my posts. If you feel led to pray, you will know exactly where we need it the most:)
Thank you for your prayers!
Misty

Prayer Requests
Please pray for our girls, they are not in the same orphanage and as far as we know have never met. We are praying that they will be comfortable with us right from the start! I read an adoption blog and they mentioned that they were praying for their child to dream of them so when they finally met they would look familiar to their little one! What a wonderful thing! I have been asking God to give our girls dreams of us, of a Mama and a Daddy who love them and are coming very soon for them!

Please remember our children here at home, we are very busy as summer continues and try as I might I am having a difficult time planning time to be with them, special time that they will remember! I want them to remember this summer as more than the summer mom and dad were totally immersed in adoption! I guess that turned into more of a request for Dane and I then for the children!

Please pray for funds for our adoption!

http://reecesrainbow.org/55889/sponsoranderson