Re-united

Sons G and L got back from their week long mission trip on Saturday.  They had a fabulous week, serving alongside staff members from an organization that works in the inner city year round.  They came home with so many stories to tell, and so much fresh perspective!

To celebrate their return, we had a home-made milk shake/family game night.

We played the old youth group standard, "Honey, if you love me, smile."  It was pretty hilarious!

But these pictures are special not only because our boys were home and we were all physically back together.  They represent emotional unity, too.

Leaving and cleaving can be hard work.  It can be hard in the early stages of marriage, and it can be hard in the early stages of adopting an older child.  We had done some hard, hard work in the hours leading up to G and L's return.

God gives us so many incredible gifts.  Of course, salvation!  And daily grace and wisdom.  But there are just so many more.... forgiveness, mercy, love for one another, the gift of listening, the gift of humility, the gift of understanding, the gift of perspective....the gift of being at peace with a situation not of your choosing and not in your power to change.

Only God can give all that, out of His abundance, and only God can make good come from hard, yucky things.

This

mama

is

so

thankful

that

her

family

is

re-united!