Turn The Page...: 2018

“There is no way my life is real right now!”

I squealed those words more than once last March.

The life that got me to the place that I felt I had to run away, as far away as I could get, was not a season of life that I want to relive. My life was full of Kingdoms that were shaping my identity and needed to be knocked down and rebuilt with God as the proper foundation. That soul work demanded separation from all the people and sacred mountain places that I love most.

The blessings that had been prepared for me in advance were breathtaking experiences from start to finish.

I slept in a mud hut...

met my Ethiopian children’s sister...

shared the gospel with their dad...

talked with a well known author about the soul of a child...

and had the richest bible conversations with two of my heroes.

And then…

Nine orphans left the government orphanage with looks of concern and wonder, and He allowed me to share every last minute of their day loving them in a new home we will forever call our own.

On their first day with us, I got to pray the name of Jesus over each of them as I washed their feet. I fully recognized the humble position I was in and fought back tears against the feeling of being the richest person in the world.

We shared meals, and I watched in awe as one of the littlest protected her plate from invisible threats. She had been a beggar on the street since before she was three years old and had gone days without food on several occasions. That sort of trauma makes a permanent impression on your soul. In this home, she would never have to question if the next meal was coming.

Throughout each day, my dream of being a teacher was practiced for hours as we counted and worked through basic math and writing lessons. Math isn't my greatest strength, but rolling out Playdoh to teach counting and addition... that's more like it.

At night, I would mentally relax as I prayed over them and held their hands while they fell deep into sleep. As I lay in my own bed, I missed them. They were breathing deeply just across the hall, and still, exhausted as I was, I couldn't wait until morning.

For a couple weeks, I lived with them in a place they will forever belong and call home. No more orphanage life. No more going unknown. No more wondering if they belong.

As God adopted each of us into His family, these children adopted me into theirs. They continue to discovery the power in that word. Adopted. They are the sons and daughters of the same God that created the mountains and the oceans. They are His Beloved. They are a reflection of His love.

They stole my heart the minute we met, and for an entire year, I have prayed for God to allow me to return.

I told myself I had to make it a year.
Let the countdown begin...
I'm running home.