THEY’RE HOME
“We’ve landed” said the text. For the first time I let out a sigh of relief. Shortly afterwards they were all ( including our 2nd adopted son Nick) standing in the lobby as I cornered the wall. With such JOY I hugged Jake, then Nick, and then my love Kev as he came in the door. He got all the kisses. It was time to celebrate the three day weekend with all kinds of festivities, including a welcome home from Peru. The guests were invited and it was time to start baking and marinating the meat for the empanadas that Jake was going to make. Yes, what fun we were going to have. We would see all the pictures, here all the stories, play the music, and just be glad. Until Kev got sick. Both Jake and Kev were thoroughly exhausted. They had slept little, especially coming back. Kev was worn out. Although Jake was really tired , he was excited to start his new venture with Nick. That same day they found a potential apartment. But, before all this happened, Kev and Jake did share a few stories. With the party still forthcoming, I will share just one. This story was a common theme: the people of Peru are very poor but so kind. Kev told us a story of how one boy wanted to sell his wares…Kev got choked up. The poverty had really hit both of them. They gave generously to the boy ( and I’m sure to many others) but let him keep his wares for another potential customer. I looked at Jake and he too had become somber. The vacation had been described as “ extraordinary” by Kev and “ enlightenment” by Jake. But it was the kindness and hard working of the people that they talked about the most. Like any vacation, the expectations of what you hope for may be very different than what it becomes. It started out very scary and ended with a lot of complications for getting home. But, it’s the in between days, that the memories are remembered, stored, and sometimes even changes the person. For Jake he saw the hand of God protect them, even if he sometimes forgot to rely on him. It’s a great lesson to have just before you venture off into your new life. For Kev, it solidified what he had always counted on; God’s faithfulness. And for me, God will take care of my family because He is faithful. Hum, notice a pattern here? Knowing, not just believing, God’s faithfulness is an ongoing lesson for most Christians. Is there anyone else who needs to know God is faithful? Are you seeking the hand of God in your circumstances? The verse God keeps sharing with me is “ Trust in the Lord with all your heart; Do not lean on your own understanding; acknowledge Him in all your ways and He will make your path straight” ( Proverbs 3:5-6 ) Next week Kev will be getting some procedures done..something we agreed to put off until he came back from Peru. Those results will require our belief and trust in God’s faithfulness. For now, he just needs to rest to regain his strength. For me, my JOY is complete because my family, including Nick, is finally home. Thank you Jesus.