Minnie And Me
2 weeks ago
Showing posts with label My Faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label My Faith. Show all posts
21 July 2011
Over the past several months we have been talking with Oliver about the needs of the people around him and around the world. It started with little opportunities - like the Salvation Army bell ringers at Christmastime - and continued as we filled bags with food from our pantry to donate to a local mercy ministry.
At first it was very uncomfortable for him to talk about kids not having food or beds or ipods - he would cover his ears and ask us to please stop talking about it.
I worried that we were raising a child who didn't care to hear about the needs of others, but I quickly learned that I am actually raising a child with a sensitive heart - one that hurts when he hears about other people hurting. Chats like these are uncomfortable for him, but it is clear to Ryan and I that this is a conversation that we very much wanted to continue with him.
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One afternoon a few weeks ago I invited Oliver to sit on my lap to watch a few videos with me on my computer. I told him that the videos were of kids his age in other countries and that the places they live don't look very much like the place we live.
He wanted to see.
We watched the first video for only a minute or so before I heard Oliver quietly speak up, "Mom, can you please stop dripping on me?"
It turns out I get pretty uncomfortable when I see people hurting too. We both agreed that we wanted to do something to help.
Ryan and I had recently become familiar with an organization called Food for the Hungry(many of y'all are probably familiar them already) and loved the way they operate by equipping communities to work together to ultimately become independent of outside help. Their plans to serve villages into sustainability appeals to us very much.
After watching those videos with Oliver and talking with Ryan, we decided that our family would sponsor a child.
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One afternoon last week I loaded the kids up in the car to pick Ryan up for lunch (our van was having some work done but we still wanted to see Daddy at lunch time!). Since some of our best conversations take place in the car, I took this opportunity to chat with Oliver about our plan to sponsor a child.
I reminded him of our conversations about kids that are hungry and have no food and about the videos we watched together a few weeks earlier. I told him that there was something we could do to help and he was very eager to hear more.
We picked Ryan up at the office and once we were home, we all sat down in front of my computer to begin the process together.
We talked to Oliver about what it meant to sponsor a child. We would save money together every month to send to him so that he could eat and have clothes and books.
{This is the cool thing about Food for the Hungry (FH) - the money we send actually takes care of the child and their community. FH goes into villages for a set amount of time (usually 10 years or so) with a plan to get them on their feet and to a place of independence. They equip the leaders, minister in the churches, and teach sustainable skills so the communities will ultimately be independent of our support and dependent on their God-given talents and callings.}
We asked Oliver if he wanted to sponsor a boy or a girl (of course he chose a boy) and we let him look through the pictures and Ryan read to him about each of the kids.
Oliver chose a 12-year-old boy named Kendy from Haiti because his description said his favorite activity was playing soccer. We weren't surprised.
I have to say, I had a feeling that Oliver would grasp most of what we were doing and probably be mildly on board for it, but this boy took ownership of our child immediately.
Once we had picked Kendy to be a part of our family, I let Oliver get down off my lap while I finished up the logistical details online. Before I knew it he had run into the kitchen, grabbed a bunch of food out of the pantry and he was stacking it on the table to load into a box to send to Haiti!
"Oh, babe. Kendy would probably LOVE Craisins and PopRocks, but I don't think this is how it works. You're right that he needs food, but I think the best way to help him is by sending money so that he can buy food where he lives."
"Okay. What kind of food does he eat?"
"I don't know, but I'm sure we could write to him to find out! Did you know that there's a way on here to buy chickens to send to him? Maybe we could save a little extra money every month and send him some chickens for his birthday."
"Oh, yes! Two chickens! One to roast and one to lay eggs!"
"That sounds great! Very clever! Let's just plan to save a little extra for that, okay?"
I hear him reply something as he disappears upstairs and then, before I can wrap things up online, he returns from his room and I look up from my computer to see this:
"Maybe we could put his picture on it!" is Oliver's suggestion for our new official Kendy Savings Bank.
Minutes later Kendy's sweet face is plastered on an orange ceramic elephant bank from Urban Outfitters and I am making sandwiches for our family's lunch.
As we ate, we thought about Kendy and what he might be eating for lunch that day. We prayed for him together as a family - the first of many times we will bring his name before our Father in Heaven, and we thanked God for this new relationship with a little boy in Haiti, and for the opportunity to give a little of what we have to help him and his community.
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And since that day last week the conversations just keep on coming. We have talked more about what it means to be truly hungry and about how Kendy will learn about Jesus - even how we can tell him about Jesus! We pray for him at night and wonder what Kendy's bed is like. And we keep putting money away in that bright orange elephant.
Food for the Hungry currently has 12 children from Haiti on their website that are waiting for someone to sponsor them for just $32/month (is it just me or can you not help but think of Sally Struthers any time someone says how much it costs to sponsor a child? I'm a child of the eighties...) There are over a dozen countries to choose from, but what if we focused on just one? Guys, what would it be like for all of these children to be sponsored this week? What if we as a community here worked together to support that community so many miles away?
Wouldn't it be grand!
If you don't already sponsor a child, I want to invite you to consider child sponsorship for your own family - not just because of how it will change you (because it will!), or because of how it will train your children to look at the world (though it will do that too), but because of how it will affect the life of a little person whose story and situation makes us want to cover our ears, because their hurts make us hurt. And we can be Jesus to them, one child at a time. You can click here to learn more.
Do any of y'all sponsor a child/children? How have your kids responded and how have you talked with them about it?
09 July 2011
As the clouds darkened over fair Franklin,
and the children grew anxious at sound of the ominous thunder,
there was one girl who was not afraid!
One blissfully ignorant girl who doesn't know rain as anything but cool and new and magical.
And so it came. And it came hard.
And the more it rained, the more she flapped and danced
and ventured off of the porch and into the wonderful downpour of delight.
Because for her, a thunderstorm was nothing to fear. It was an opportunity - a chance to learn and dance and flit around.
She had nothing to fear - Mama was right nearby.
And as the rains subsided and the thunder quieted,
the children went inside, wet and safe and happy.
Today I saw the world through the eyes of my child.
And I remembered what it's like to be a child of God.
My girl danced in the rain and reminded me, in the face of a storm, to let go with abandon and feel the rain on my face.
After all, my Father is right near by.
25 April 2011
We had a lovely Easter Sunday. A quiet breakfast with an Easter basket for the kids to open (filled with books, drawing pads, Little People, yogurt melts and a Cars spinning toothbrush).
Then church. Quite possibly one of my favorite church services all year (though Christmas Eve service comes mighty close!)
We made several attempts at a family photo before we finally got one that we could be happy with. (I do regret that I wore jeans to church on Easter Sunday. I was working in the nursery during the Sunday School hour and dresses just don't cut it when you're sitting on the floor playing with puzzles.)
(I also noticed that Oliver is wearing the same shirt in the same spot as when I snapped this photo of him last fall.)
While I snapped photos of the folks I love, Ryan held Hazel and Oliver climbed a tree. Obviously Hazel didn't get the memo about tilting your chin. I'm going to have to pull her aside next time to let her know. :)
We enjoyed the sunny walk to our car downtown,
then made our way to Grandma's house for Easter lunch.
Caleb drew a big dragon for us to proudly stomp on as we came into the house (an old Christian tradition representing Christ's victory over Satan).
You can imagine how much this activity delighted the young boys in the house!
After lunch, the kids played outside and we had a lovely time playing and chatting and walking with our much-loved out-of-town family. Mmm, it was so nice to have them here.
"Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?'"
"For I know that my Redeemer lives,
and at the last he will stand upon the earth."
and at the last he will stand upon the earth."
{John 11:25-26 & Job 19:25}
22 April 2011
[Source]
My sin - oh, the bliss of this glorious thought -
My sin - not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
-"It Is Well with My Soul"
Horatio Spafford
Humbled, broken, and tremendously grateful for my Savior's love today. A blessed Good Friday to you, friends.
10 April 2011
We spent yesterday together.
Celebrating, picnicking, laughing, wishing, playing, weeping, aching, praising.
And we did it together.
So thankful for the ones and the One who loves us.
Happy 3rd birthday, daughter.
Our loss is your gain and we are just thrilled for you!
07 April 2011
Today marks the third anniversary of the day our baby girl left us for Heaven. I've spent the day remembering all the little details of her life I can - especially the details of the very day she passed away.
I remember exactly where I was sitting in this very house when I felt her kick for the last time. Man, how I want to go sit there again and be able to feel that kick just one more time.
I remember where my feet paced the floor as I talked to my sister on the phone that night, worried that something was definitely wrong.
I remember where I was sitting when Ryan brought me another glass of orange juice as we tried in vain to encourage our baby girl to give us a sign of life.
But what I remember most of all - as we learned the news that our child's life had ended and in the days that would follow, was the knowledge and comfort that our daughter was home!
And on both that day and this day I know without a doubt, that though death is a thief, Heaven is not a consolation prize to life - it's the Grand Prize! Oh, Evie-girl, you are in paradise! And our God, He is so, so good.
Missing our tiny Evie Grace today. Wishing she were here. Feeling the sting of death in our home as her absence is pronounced on what would be her third birthday this coming Saturday. And praising Jesus for conquering death once and for all, making available to all who believe - the hope of Heaven!
"Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever."
Revelation 22:1-5
23 January 2011
Today is an important day.
It's an important day to many people because it is Sanctity of Human Life Sunday, but it carries special meaning for our family because it is also the third anniversary of the day our lives changed forever.
We know that God creates each of our children with a purpose. And we know that that purpose is to bring Him glory and to enjoy Him forever. Three years ago today (I cannot believe it's been three years already!) we arrived at our ultrasound appointment, 20 weeks pregnant and hoping to catch a glimpse of our sweet baby. But we got more than that. Our sovereign God gave us the first small glimpse of what he was going to do in our lives - of how he was working out His plan in our daughter's life, and in her death.
We learned that the baby I carried in my womb was not going to be what we expected. We learned that God had lovingly made her heart with only two chambers. She only needed two chambers to do what he made her to do. We learned that her life would be short. We learned to love hard and fast and like every day was a gift.
A year after Evie's diagnosis I shared the video footage of the ultrasound from that day. On that first anniversary we chose not to focus on death, but on the precious life that was still somersaulting inside of me just one year ago. I love to watch that video and remember her alive and kicking - she was a feisty one!
What a lovely day to observe, as a nation, the Sanctity of Human Life, and to give thanks to the One Who shapes each of us as He sees fit to carry out His perfect will.
Thanks be to God for the life that he gives!
In an effort to observe this day and what it stands for, I would love for you all to share your little lives-to-be-celebrated here with me. If you or someone you love has lost a child through miscarriage, stillbirth, abortion or infant loss, I want to invite you to name that child here (write anonymously if you'd like). They are a part of the Plan, and their lives - however brief they may have been - give glory to our Maker.
They LIVED, friends! And because of the hope of the cross, we can one day worship our Creator alongside these little ones that we love and miss.
19 November 2010
So, not only has Oliver been asking a lot of questions about pregnancy and childbirth lately, but he's also initiated several conversations recently about death and Heaven.
He is absolutely enamored with the idea of Heaven and living in the presence of God, and has been for some time now. To him, Earth feels like a cheap imitation of Heaven. He's so anxious to get on to the good part.
Funny how a 4-year-old can have it so right sometimes.
Our conversations usually take place in the van. (Seems like he does his best thinking in there for some reason.) And they typically go something like this:
O: But Mom, (it usually begins with "but" which signals to me that he's been mulling something silently for a while) when will I get to go to Heaven?
Me: Hm... We don't know when you'll go to Heaven, baby. Remember how we talked about that everyone is born and everyone dies? We have an idea of when people will be born, but only God knows exactly when and how. It's the same thing with dying. Usually people die when they're old, but sometimes they die when they're young.
O: Like Evie Grace? She died when she was a baby.
Me: Yes, sweetie. Like Evie Grace. She got to go to Heaven early! Think how wonderful it must be for her up there with Jesus and all the other people that are in Heaven that love her! It must be so beautiful for her!
O: But I want to go to Heaven now too!
Me: Oh, Oliver, not yet! Right now, you get to be alive! God is giving you a very special gift today. Today you get to be alive and you get to give Him glory here and be with Mommy and Daddy and Hazel. We can be so excited for our turn to go to Heaven, but we can also be thankful that we are alive on Earth. Heaven something wonderful to look forward to!
O: And I can meet Evie Grace?
Me: Yes, you can meet Evie Grace. What do you think she will look like, baby?
And the conversation goes on... We imagine our sweet girl. We talk about how she's Oliver's little sister and Hazel's big sister. We wonder together if she looks like Hazel and what it will be like to hold her and hug her. We talk about how old she would be if she were still alive and imagine happily what life would be like with two sisters.
These conversations aren't usually sad ones (at least not for Oliver, and I never let on). Other times though, I have had to explain to him that even though death is a happy moment for the person who gets to be with Jesus, it is sad for the people that will miss them. We talk about how much I would miss Oliver if he was in Heaven but how excited I would be that he was there. Just like Evie.
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One recent and similar talk we had made me realize that perhaps it was time to explain things to him just a little further. This is how it went:
O: But how will I get to Heaven? (again with the "but" at the beginning of a thought. He must just roll this stuff around in his head, trying to grasp it all.)
Me: Oliver, you know how we have talked about that we all have spirits?
O: Uh huh.
Me: Well when we die, if we love Jesus, our spirit goes to Heaven to live with Him. But do you know that our bodies stay here on Earth? Like when a person dies, if they love Jesus, their spirit goes to Heaven and their body stays here and we bury it. That's what cemeteries are for. It's where we bury the people that we love. Do you know that Evie Grace's little body is buried in a cemetery not far from here? It has a stone that says her name and everything!
O: (he just giggles at the thought of her sudden tangibility)
Me: Baby, would you like me to take you to see where Evie Grace is buried? You can see her name written and if you want, we can go pick out some flowers for you to give to her.
O: (Another giggle) Yes! When can we?
It's funny to me that in all the times he's come along with us to visit her grave, he's never been interested or made the connection about what we were doing. He's known her name and a little bit about her, but Oliver was only 18 months old when she was stillborn. He's learned about her in age-appropriate doses for the past two and a half years, and now this older brother was ready to pay his respects.
This was a big moment. One that I though his Daddy should be in on. So, rather than turning the van immediately in the direction of the cemetery that day, we planned that we'd go on the weekend.
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Oliver took his time and carefully picked out the perfect flowers for his baby sister. (And boy did he take his time... sheesh!) He played with them all the way to the cemetery and chatted happily about things in his own 4-year-old - sometimes shocking or irreverent - way. (As we pulled into the cemetery his big first question was, "Where will I get to be buried?!!")
When we parked, he quickly unclipped, jumped out of the van, slung the flowers over his shoulder and asked us to point him in the right direction.
This was not a sad visit for him. He was so excited about the tangibility of a burial place. (Perhaps too excited. We had to quickly teach him a bit of etiquette about jumping on all the grave makers. My apologies.)
We found Evie's special place and took the existing flowers out of her vase so that Oliver could replace them with the ones that he picked out.
Because he's so interested in letters and what they spell right now, he wanted to read every letter on her headstone and find out what it said. He was so giggly when he read that her last name was the same as his.
As we sat there we talked about death and life and Evie Grace and Heaven. I asked him where Evie's spirit was and he answered, "Heaven!" And I asked him where her body was and he pointed in the direction of her grave. Then I asked him where his spirit and his body are and it took him a moment before she smiled and slapped his hands on his chest.
I told him that it was a happy thing to be in Heaven but it's also a very happy thing when your body and spirit are together. That means you're alive! "Oliver, you're ALIVE!!!"
The thought of it overtook him and he threw his arms in the air and took off running and skipping all around the graves.
He was rejoicing in the life God had given him today.
For a moment I worried that his flitting about would be disrespectful, like he was rubbing it in to all the children who were not alive that he still had life. But I know that was not his intent at all. He was just so glad. (Again, leave it to a 4-year-old to turn a place of mourning into a place of dancing!) To be honest, it made us all feel like dancing!
We spent some time enjoying the lovely fall afternoon and being near to our baby girl, if only her body. We want the kids to feel comfortable here. We want them to ask questions as they arise and understand death and what it means - as best as any of us can. We want them to know that death is a thief and life is a gift. And that Heaven awaits them because of Jesus' own death and resurrection.
We want them to know about their sister. We don't want to bring them sadness, but I really don't think that's the case. They're comfortable here.
I'm so grateful that we have been able to naturally and gradually talk with Oliver about some of the biggest (and in many ways, hardest) truths that life has to offer. While Ryan and I certainly felt the sting of death that evening as we packed the kids back up in the van, leaving one behind in the cool fall air with nothing but a helpless goodbye kiss, our little Oliver's spirit of joy reminded us of the hope that is Heaven and the gift of life that is ours for His glory.
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Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."
Revelation 21:1-4
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