Well friends, it's turkey time again. It sure seems like it was just a few weeks ago we were celebrating the holidays and here they are again.
In preparing to write this, I was thinking through all the things I am thankful for. Of course there is all the usual stuff. But in this season of thanksgiving, I find myself thankful. Just thankful. I'm thankful for the God of the Bible who is always right beside me guiding me and showing me the way. He never leaves me and never bores of my endless questions, wonderings, and wishes.
He guides me in such a perfect fashion that when I look back, I can't see the seams of worry and temptation. I can't see the lines of confusion or the almosts or the should haves. It just all makes sense from the point at which I am standing because I know it took all of those twists and turns to get me where I am.
Take me and my birthdaughter for instance. The relationship we do have is the result of years of getting to know each othe combined with our current family situations. Is our relationship what it has been or what it will be? No. Our relationship is what it is right now. It will change as we change.
God provides for me in a way that is far beyond what I could ask or imagine. I look at the way he has met my needs and his creativity makes me laugh. He gives me things I desperately need but don't have the words to ask for.
If I could ask for the perfect relationship with my birthdaughter, I'm not really sure what it would look like. But God, who created me, knows just what I need at the stage of life I'm in. At first I thought taking on a relationship with Katie would be a burden. But it has turned into a happiness I can't describe.
What am I thankful for? I'm just thankful. Thank you God for doing your work in my life. Thank you for knowing me and making yourself known to me.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Photo credit
Just wanted to comment on something you said in your review...
ReplyDeleteThe part about the pictures and being possessive- The paragraph you were citing was written with the intent of showing the jealousies we needed to overcome. It's common for adoptive parents to feel jealousies for one reason or another toward the biological family (each couple is different). Sharing pictures, for us, was one of those things. The jealousy there was short lived, though. Following paragraphs are meant to show how we overcame those jealousies because we knew we weren't justified in feeling that way, and the process made us grow stronger together.
I know it's not a glowing review, but I still thank you very much for your time in reading it and talking about your thoughts. I appreciate what you do for the adoptive world. -Russell
I know you meant to comment on my review of your book, and not on this particular post. :)
ReplyDeleteI also know that you followed up the picture comments with the fact that you did overcome those jealousies, which I do appreciate. I realize that I read any and all adoption-related books (non-fiction or fiction, biographical or not) with an extremely critical eye. As a birth mom who is so involved with the "world" of adoption, it's hard for me to not look at a book like yours and see all of the things people who don't really want to participate in open adoption would use to excuse their discomfort. It's also hard for me to think "coercion" when I read about your relocation of Brianna and the subsequent removal of Ira's birth father's rights and realize that not everyone who reads the book will think that they should relocate an expectant mother considering adoption so they can get the baby they want. I do spend an insane amount of time reading about the awful (from BOTH the birth parent and adoptive parent sides) in adoption and I'm certain that skewed my view in reading your book.
Like I said in my review on the blog here, I did feel better about the book after I read your responses to my interview questions, and your responses are scheduled to post live on my blog on the 2nd of December. I hope that you'll read my comments on your interview (though I kept my questions and your responses exactly as written, I did interject one thought in the middle and put some final thoughts at the end) and not just write me off as a disgruntled reader expecting perfection from a human. :)