Death Has Lost and Love Has Won

     This weekend we celebrated a love so deep, a father would give his perfect son for a broken world. I think this kind of love and ultimate sacrifice takes on a whole new meaning once you become a parent. I have a new understanding and appreciation for God’s love for us through the love I have for my children. It is very important to us to teach our kids that the reason we celebrate Easter has everything to do with Jesus and nothing to do with bunnies and eggs. We did the egg thing because it’s fun, but Jesus is the reason and the center of the celebration and we want our kids to know that. As we reflected and celebrated the death and resurrection of our savior this weekend, I spent a lot of time reflecting on our lives and where we were exactly one year ago.   

     Exactly one year ago I was in a place I had never been before. I was in the thick of the deepest sadness I had ever felt in my life. Last year on the Thursday before Easter we were given the unbearable news that the three babies we were head over heels in love with would be leaving us that Monday. We were told to give them a good Easter and prepare to say goodbye (Here's the story.) I was in a place I had never been, I was full of sadness and anger like I had never felt before. Instead of focusing on Jesus and what he had done for me, I was focused on me and why He was doing this to us. One year later, we celebrated Jesus with our precious babies who have our last name and whom we met this same week, one year ago. The truth is, I think about our first babies every single day and I still miss them. I pray for them often, I pray that they are safe, that their needs are being met, and that they are loved. In the middle of our sadness God gave us a glimpse of His plan for us. He showed us the children that would be forever ours that week. He knew we needed time and He gave it to us, He also gave us two more foster babies to love in the mean time, and then when we were ready, He brought them home. (Home Sweet Home)

     I am thankful for the cross and our father’s love. I am thankful for this journey that God has called us to, that He has trusted us with His children and that He has been with us every step of the way. When I couldn’t do it anymore, He carried me and when I said I was done, He gave me reason to keep going.