Welcome to
parenthood
Have
you ever been to Beverly Hills? Yea me either… until now. I’m basically living
in the South African version of it, here in Johannesburg. This month, Door of
Hope Orphanage has opened their doors, and some incredible, unexpected blessings
to my team.
We’ve
appropriately called this month the month of blessing, or month of favor. As I’ve
said, our neighborhood is gorgeous, as is our 5-bedroom house that has a very
nice deck, pagoda, yard, and loft apartment for the full-time aunties that live
there to take care of the 8 toddlers who reside there. In essence, we have the
whole house and property to ourselves, along with a new Volkswagen van and
Mahindra truck to use whenever we want! The blessings don’t stop there, though,
as we have already met a number of people who just want to do nice things for
us. Our friend Gordon has taken us out for dinner, coffee, and drinks, numerous
times, paying for everything because he and his wife traveled all around the
world as missionaries for 20 years and knows how we feel and thus, wants to
take care of us. Funny enough, we met him as Santa Clause at his church’s
Winter Wonderland celebration, and his jolly Christmas cheer and giving spirit
is at work every time we see him. The height of his Christmas giving is yet to
come, however, as he has invited us all over for Christmas to have dinner
together. And he’s just one of the friends’ that’s been blessing us with
unexpected gifts. Trite as it may be, I think its appropriate at this point to
say we can plainly see that God is good.
My
team would all agree too that perhaps one of the best blessings God has given
us this month is our work of taking care of these 50 some babies at the
orphanage. More specifically, I feel blessed to live with the adorable 8
toddlers that we take care of 24 hours a day. I think Ive changed over 50
diapers so far, given like 6 baths to all 8 kids at once, gone for walks with
all the kids around the neighborhood, taught school, read stories, played with blocks,
coloring books, and musical toys, and cooked/fed countless meals and snacks to
these children that feel like our own now. I think my favorite time is reading
bedtime stories to the older ones… except when I realize at the end of the
story that the dampness I was feeling on the bed was pee from the little boy’s
nap, haha.
I’m
amazed at how quickly its become natural for me to love and care for these
children. I actually love waking up at 1 am most nights to give the one girl
her inhaler medication. And there’s nothing better than holding them in your
arms and seeing their disposition soften and feeling their hands grab on to
your shirt. Never in my life have I felt this ready and excited for parenthood.
I know it’s probably a few years down the road, but God is doing a great work
of preparation in me for this indescribably joyous blessing that some are given
in life. I choose the word some there for very specific reasons. For reasons
universally unknown, some couples and mothers are unable to have their own
child. I know that reality all too well from the exhausting journey of my
stepmother and our family. Having the immeasurable pleasure of caring for these
beautiful 8 orphans this month makes the enigma of infertility even more
frustrating and perplexing. Why is the gift of life bestowed upon so many
un-wanting parents? In addition, why do the governments and organizations of
the world slam the process of adoption with impedance after impedance, making
it sometimes financially or circumstantially impossible for some would-be
parents? It’s these agonizing, rhetorical questions that I hope to sit in and
be grown by this month, knowing full well that there most likely are no answers
to be found for them.
To
my wonderful stepmom Kimmie and all the women and parents plagued by
infertility, I will be praying for you this month. Never doubt that God is with
you and hears your prayers. I wish I had words of comfort that would have
lasting significance, but I don’t… suffering always escapes adequate words of
comfort. My hope and prayer is that you will know the goodness and faithfulness
of our God from the rest of your life experience, truths that God makes known
to us every second, and that your resulting faith carries you in God’s arms
through the storm of infertility, never losing hope that God will scatter the
clouds one day. You are not forgotten… You will not be forsaken. The grace and
gifts of the Lord are in endless supply, both in this world and the world to
come, for those who believe and follow Him.
