Nun kum ou!!

Today as we were on our way to church, the sun was shining brilliantly through the car window. It was quite striking, actually. It has been rainy and overcast for so many days, to see the beautiful rays touching the water, skimming over the tree tops, sparkling on the road and lighting the places where the ice was resting was just a special blessing. My whole body warmed with the glow it produced.

Elisha had some sun shining right in his face..... He excitedly looked at me and said, "Mama, nun kum ou !!!!! Gdood job, nun!!!" (Mama, sun come out!!!! Good job, sun!!) As I looked back in the rear view mirror, he was giving the sun a thumbs up. Good job, sun!!

He made it through the Christmas Cantata at church this morning, staying in the service so he could enjoy the music and watch Papa sing. He clapped and cheered- even when everyone else was quiet.... :0)
I told him he had to be quiet while Paul, the narrator, was speaking. So, after that, every time Paul would start speaking, Elisha would glance up at me and say, "Paul done?" He would begin praying when others were praying, wait about 30 secs and then say,"Amen," and be ready to go on to the next thing.

I can't believe how emotional all this is for me. Three Christmases ago I was researching adoption agencies, filling out forms and beginning the process of becoming pregnant in my heart, just knowing that God had a child for us. Two Christmases ago I was laboring in my mind wondering if we had somehow missed God's calling that we were to find our son out there and adopt him and bring him home. The adoption process had been shut down for several months with no end in sight. Last Christmas.... Wow... Last Christmas was profoundly different. It was so hard to know where our son was, and know that we couldn't be with him, and not even be sure when or possibly if we could bring him home.

This Christmas. How much more real it all is for me. Not the Santa and the Ho Ho and the things we usually think of when we mention Christmas. The night, soooo very long ago, when a very young woman gave birth to a child. I look at my son many times and wonder what he might decide to do when he grows up. All these feelings that come with being a parent are amazing in and of themselves. Can you imagine if you looked at your little son, wrapped up tight, sleeping the sleep of the innocent in your arms and knew what prophecy had to say about that little boy. Oh Mary, what did you ponder??

This Christmas I am holding our son, the child of the promise to us from God. As the Cantata swelled and came to the final song, the banners waving as we sang all together to Jesus, I couldn't help a little sob escaping. Elisha was mesmerized by the flags, snuggled close to my heart, listening to the anthems being raised to Christ the Savior. Oh, my precious son, my you come to know God sooo fully. I pray constantly that we would be the parents God would have us to be to raise you to know Him as fully as you can. My precious child, I wish that could be my gift. There wouldn't be ribbons or bows enough to be able to contain it, for I am finding with each season of my life that deep abiding love from God just continues to grow and become stronger.

Thank you, God, for wonderful moments and warm sunshine to fill our hearts and the amazing gift you gave us that we celebrate now! May it all become more real to us than ever before.