I fell into my computer and didn't come out for 2 hours last night. I started looking though iPhoto and ended up in the Taiwan pictures. I sat and viewed the pictures of the time leading up to our trip to Taiwan, of our departure, of our days in Taiwan before Katelyn, of meeting her for the first time, and of our time together there, and after our return. And along the way I watched several videos.
The taxi rides, the foster family, the language, the sights, the crazy Taiwan baseball game/concert, her broken English, learning to read, and how her relationship with her brothers has grown and changed. I watched it all and I'm in awe!
I laughed and cried. And I was reminded of how far she/we have all come. It put me back to those moments when that 7 year old girl who spoke very little English, was trusting enough to grab on and just go with it. Wow! I don't know that I could have done what she did. I really don't. At least, not with the grace she did it with. I would have been a whimpering puddle on the plane, but she just went with it.
Now she shares that she was definitely scared, that she hated the plane, that she misses the smells of Taiwan most, and certain things about her different caregivers there over the years.
While we were scared, impatient, and wanted desperately to show her how much we automatically cared for her and wanted to make her feel safe, she was certainly going through huge emotions too. She hid all of that, trusted us and took a huge leap.
That bravery changed her life and ours for the better. Of the 7 billion people on this earth, I am thankful each and every day that the 5 of us get to call each other family. God is so good and so faithful. He's bigger than anything we could ever imagine. He's here in the hard times, and He leads the way. I've learned time and again, and was reminded last night, if you are just brave enough to follow, He will lead you down the right path, much like we did with Katelyn 21 months ago. What a blessing!
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