Laying Up Stones

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I have just been reminded by Teri Lynne Underwood of the need to mark our faith history.  It’s often easy to look back and see the monumental moments that we have passed.  We remember deliverance from the hurricanes of life.

What about the brief fleeting, “Yes, and amen” moments that happen in the course of a weekday that flies by with stoplights and dirty dishes and shopping lines?  How do we remember those when they go by so quickly?

This is my attempt to set up my stones in the middle life’s rushing river.  It will likely be covered over and never seen by others, but I will know it is here.

Yesterday was just such a day. The moment came and went in less time than it took to make a short trip in the car.  I am so thankful that I was blessed with the knowledge of “Here you go.  This is the answer to your prayers of the last week.  You’re welcome.”

Our precious little boy is 4 now.  As if he wasn’t full of a million (his favorite number) questions before, the floodgates have opened.  I often feel like a walking series on the Discovery Channel that travels the world and covers manufacturing and physics and wildlife in its regular course.  There is one topic, however, that I have been praying about: ADOPTION.

There are so many facets to this one gem.  How do I chip away at the rough stone of the concept so that it shines and reflects God’s glory in all ways without shattering it from one bad strike?  This is delicate work for which I feel woefully unprepared.

To the glory of God, and my great relief, my little guy spoke from his tender heart and pointed me straight to an open door.  As we were discussing authority, specifically the police and the rules of the road, the conversation shifted to parents and children.  Then he said it – “If a little boy or girl’s mommy and daddy died I would take them home with me to take care of them.”  There it was!

My mouth nearly fell open.

I gathered my wits in all of .6 seconds and told him what a loving thing that would be.  I then explained that this would be ADOPTION.  He went on to say that he would take care of them for a little while if their mommy or daddy got in trouble or had to go to the grocery store and they would be lonely.  Here we had the perfect example of FOSTERING.

There is no way I could have orchestrated this conversation.  It was the perfect first strike for exposing the beauty, the mystery and the crystalline precision with which his adoption occurred.  There is much to be told.  He will learn his story over time and I hope to see God’s hand and hear his voice more clearly every step of the way.

This is my first stone.