Before I forget completely, I wanted to jot down some little things about Gabe that I thought were cute.
I just went away for a few days, so he was looked after by some friends. He got a ride to a friends house who lives 20 minutes away by our neighbor. While at the gas station where our neighbor works (I guess she wasn't ready to come home yet), he had to use the bathroom. Our neighbor lady friend brought him to the toilet, but he said, "Don't look! Don't watch me!" and proceeded to go to the bathroom. As she is politely standing outside the door waiting for him, he yells, "Wipe!" Do I hear mixed messages? ;)
Gabe is the most tender kid towards Zeke, my heart is just touched. And to others. I babysit a little boy who is about 1 1/2 years old. Gabe told me out of the blue this morning that he loves this little boy. I've been having trouble with this boy hurting Zeke - a bite here, or a scratch there - I just can't really leave them unattended. This morning the little boy tried to bite Zeke's head, and left a long raised scratch across his head. Of course Zeke was crying, so I came to see what was up. I asked Gabe what happened, and Gabe demonstrated. I spanked the little boy's hand (which didn't seem to phase him, so I have to figure out how to teach him not to do this another way...) Anyway Gabe goes on to tell me that the little boy said he is sorry and that he will never do that again. (the kid can't even talk) A few minutes later Gabe is kissing Zeke's head and saying "sorry" and then Gabe looks at me and tells me not to be mad at the little boy anymore. I'm like "where is this coming from?" I am just touched at how much he cares and though he is protective of Zeke, he doesn't want the punishment to be too hard for the little boy.
Later this afternoon, we were out on a walk. (I was pushing Gabe and Zeke in our stroller). A dog came running toward us. Gabe says, "that dog isn't going to eat Zeke." He was just stating that hoping for a confirmation from me!?!
He is Zeke's best friend. Babie's love babies I guess for the minute Gabe is awake from his nap, he starts making Zeke laugh and "talk". It is precious to see.
below is a video (sorry I can't seem to turn it) of Gabe and Kira (a roman senator marries a princess).
Monday, October 26, 2009
Oh, the bright spots!
My heart is overflowing to the point of tears - thank you God for our children, and what You've done in their lives and ours.
This morning was Mom's in Touch, and as we do each week, we chose a specific child to pray for. I choose Serena because my heart is aching for her right now. She has had significant pressure in learning our language and in most areas of schooling. If you compare what she knew when she first came to America 2 1/2 yrs. ago to what she knows now, she has made tremendous progress, but if you look at how far she has to go to be caught up to where she should be according to her age, it is so discouraging. She seems to comprehend so little of what she reads and is supposed to have learned. It has been a point of frustration between mother and daugher. More than that issue, my concern for her recently is her negativity. Somehow in the process of my trying to teach her, I've focused on the correction of all the little things that she doesn't say or do right, and now it seems she is constantly correcting (often harshly) her siblings. Her tone is bossy and controlling. She seems stressed. She is changing into a young lady also, so that brings a whole new set of issues. I sense she needs more affection and praise than what she's been getting. So we prayed for her especially this morning, and I've been making an effort to reach out to her with a hug or a smile. (I could do SO much better at this, as I get so caught up in what needs to be done, etc, and often struggle to take the time for positive attention.) Well tonight was the bright spot that I just had to share. We were praying at bedtime and she beautifully started praising God and telling Him that she loves Him and He is so wonderful etc. (she was so fervent, I heard myself saying "amen" and nodding, which isn't typical.) She prayed for President Obama that God would help him do a good job being president. She prayed for those in Ethiopia. At the close of her prayer she thanked God for her siblings and for her dad and mom that they went all the way over to Ethiopia to bring her and her brother here, and now she knows Jesus - and if they didn't go and get her from there, she might not ever have learned about Jesus and how He saved her from her sins.
No one put those words in her mouth. That came from her own heart. I'd never heard her say that before. I am brought to tears because has been our desire from day one. In fact, before we actually brought her from Ethiopia, Garret was the one who said that he wanted to share about Jesus with her. (She was raised Orthodox, and as far as we understand, they do not have a personal relationship with Jesus) Although we taught her about Him, it wasn't until she had been here a year and a half, when she was at camp and heard about Him in a plain, vibrant way, that she accepted His forgiveness for her sins. When I picked our kids up from camp, she was so excited to share her news with me - and got emotional telling it. Salvation through the blood of Jesus makes sense to her now. I am so thankful. There have been times when I've second guessed our adoption, for this reason or that ~ but tonight I'm lifted up. We have been committed to it from day one, and Serena has blessed us BIG TIME by being in our family, and I will always be grateful for the opportunity to have her in our lives, but because of my own sinful nature and daily struggles, I've felt bad at times that I've not done better by her; but TONIGHT I feel like I caught a glimpse through a little window into eternity - something precious - the overall picture - a larger perspective - something from the heart of God through the words and smile of a little girl ~ my daughter.
Praise be to God our Father.
This morning was Mom's in Touch, and as we do each week, we chose a specific child to pray for. I choose Serena because my heart is aching for her right now. She has had significant pressure in learning our language and in most areas of schooling. If you compare what she knew when she first came to America 2 1/2 yrs. ago to what she knows now, she has made tremendous progress, but if you look at how far she has to go to be caught up to where she should be according to her age, it is so discouraging. She seems to comprehend so little of what she reads and is supposed to have learned. It has been a point of frustration between mother and daugher. More than that issue, my concern for her recently is her negativity. Somehow in the process of my trying to teach her, I've focused on the correction of all the little things that she doesn't say or do right, and now it seems she is constantly correcting (often harshly) her siblings. Her tone is bossy and controlling. She seems stressed. She is changing into a young lady also, so that brings a whole new set of issues. I sense she needs more affection and praise than what she's been getting. So we prayed for her especially this morning, and I've been making an effort to reach out to her with a hug or a smile. (I could do SO much better at this, as I get so caught up in what needs to be done, etc, and often struggle to take the time for positive attention.) Well tonight was the bright spot that I just had to share. We were praying at bedtime and she beautifully started praising God and telling Him that she loves Him and He is so wonderful etc. (she was so fervent, I heard myself saying "amen" and nodding, which isn't typical.) She prayed for President Obama that God would help him do a good job being president. She prayed for those in Ethiopia. At the close of her prayer she thanked God for her siblings and for her dad and mom that they went all the way over to Ethiopia to bring her and her brother here, and now she knows Jesus - and if they didn't go and get her from there, she might not ever have learned about Jesus and how He saved her from her sins.
No one put those words in her mouth. That came from her own heart. I'd never heard her say that before. I am brought to tears because has been our desire from day one. In fact, before we actually brought her from Ethiopia, Garret was the one who said that he wanted to share about Jesus with her. (She was raised Orthodox, and as far as we understand, they do not have a personal relationship with Jesus) Although we taught her about Him, it wasn't until she had been here a year and a half, when she was at camp and heard about Him in a plain, vibrant way, that she accepted His forgiveness for her sins. When I picked our kids up from camp, she was so excited to share her news with me - and got emotional telling it. Salvation through the blood of Jesus makes sense to her now. I am so thankful. There have been times when I've second guessed our adoption, for this reason or that ~ but tonight I'm lifted up. We have been committed to it from day one, and Serena has blessed us BIG TIME by being in our family, and I will always be grateful for the opportunity to have her in our lives, but because of my own sinful nature and daily struggles, I've felt bad at times that I've not done better by her; but TONIGHT I feel like I caught a glimpse through a little window into eternity - something precious - the overall picture - a larger perspective - something from the heart of God through the words and smile of a little girl ~ my daughter.
Praise be to God our Father.
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