When I sat down to start a blog I really struggled to come up with a title that really fit the purpose of my blog. I expected to write about adoption, friends, money, school, work and how all of those fit together in living as though there is more to this world than my personal comfort. Because the truth is, we are all called to live for more, to be His light in this world to those who are suffering and struggling. Thus, the name of my blog... It's About More Than Me...
Confession time, early last summer I realized that I really am ready to be a mom, like seriously ready. So, I did what any academically minded person would do, I started researching on the internet to find out what I could about single moms adopting. There was a ton of information - YAY!
One of the websites I came across was a website called Reece's Rainbow. As I looked through these children's photos, and read all about the amazing familes that stepped forward to adopt them, I felt God moving in my heart. He was asking me to re-consider how I envisioned my "perfect" child. I always knew that I would be a mother, but I envisioned doing it with a child who was involved in numerous activities, who excelled at sports, and who would go on to achieve great things in life. After all, don't we all have these ideas of what raising a child should look like?
But, God knew my heart better than I did. He asked me to look into the faces of those amazing Reece's Rainbow children and re-consider how I would parent my future children. Because, you see, the kids listed on the Reece's Rainbow website all have a special need and are considered discardable in the cultures in which they were born. Kids with Down Syndrome, birth defects, skin conditions, weakened vision, and on and on were all waiting in orphanages for their mom to come. They were waiting on a mom who wasn't coming. Even as I write about that moment, I have chills. It's so awesome to hear directly from God the plans He has for you.
As I started to look back at my life, I realized that He had prepared me for this adventure in ways that I didn't understand all of these years. I mentioned that I teach swim lessons in my first blog. Since moving to Lexington and teaching at the particular YMCA where I currently teach, I have constantly encountered special needs kids in my classes. I seem to always have the kids with Autism, Asperger's, Down Syndrome, and behavioral issues. This was not a situation manufactured by the Aquatics Director, myself, or even the children's parents. It was God. Because even though having these kids in my classes frustrated me at times, He was showing me that my heart was designed to feel compassionately for these kids. But, He wasn't just helping me to feel compassionately, He was showing me that I could do it. I could be a mother to a child who seen by society as less than perfect.
Wow, talk about a turning point. So, yes, my life really is about more than me. It's about God's plans for me and the light I could shine to the least of His.
My sister (Stephanie) and I tried tubing at the same time on a trip to Lake Cumberland... it didn't actually work out all that well. :-)
Carrie, Trina, and I at Jungle Jim's market in Cincinnati Ohio. We were total geeks about all the great cheeses they had to offer.
July 2010 - Marquette Michigan at a Cajun restaurant with (left to right) my Uncle Todd, Aunt Julia, Mom, brother in law Roman, sister Stephanie, myself, and cousin Alex.
Dancing with my sister and Guy on new year's 2010. You just have to dance to NKOTB!
Roman, Stephanie, and I at a Michigan football game (well, we are walking to the game, at least) 