Rainy days and Mondays

Monday was spectacular! We had a marvelous time with D, did some shopping, and had our cultural dinner experience. Since I can't yet get pics on here, I'm not even going to attempt much explanation. Everything we did, we did as a group of six whites and our HH drivers. Today the other two families have their court and goodbye day. While Dennis and I are at HH with D, the other adults will be asking the Ethiopian courts to approve their adoptions. Then, they'll come back to HH to say goodbye. I'm trying to imagine this: three children with non or limited English skills; four parents who have to get across the idea that a "tomorrow" visit isn't going to happen, but that they WILL be coming back (they just don't know when). Trust us; we're going to be together as a family, soon. I'm praying for my new friends, but I'll also be watching because I need to be a quick study. Our court day is tomorrow. Our goodbye day is Thursday.

Day one in Addis

We've just spent our first 24 hours in Ethiopia. It's been an amazing experience. We were blessed with great flights and found two other couples at the hotel who are also meeting their kids, this week. We met D, this morning. He was prepared for our arrival and warmly greeted us. The transitional house (which I'll refer to as HH) is alive with happy, playful children and "special mothers." I can't do it justice in words, and can't yet upload pictures, but it was all more than I had hoped for in terms of where D is spending this part of his life. We got to see a full-on pout when we had to tell D "no" about something, but he quickly forgave us and resumed his good attitude. And, he can throw a decent spiral. Always important in Nebraska. Back at the hotel, we ate lunch, rested for a bit, then walked around the hotel area with our co-adopting friends. We got caught in a rain storm, and were the focus of a lot of Ethiopians, but enjoyed the experience. I only saw one mom pointing out the "ferengi" (whites) to her daughter, but everyone took notice of us. My body seems to be handling the time change and altitude. Thank you for your prayers! Julie

The Big Week

I call it a big week, today, and it is.  However, since reality hasn't set in, I still don't grasp the "big-ness" of the week.  This week we travel to Ethiopia to meet our new son and go to court for the right to adopt him into our family.
This begins a new life for all of the Florom family, certainly not just this precious little guy who has no idea what's about to happen to him.
And it's Easter!  The day we celebrate new life because of Christ's defeat of death and the grave. 
Many people have asked me if I'm excited.  I am, but as I said, the reality of all of this hasn't set in.  The preparations certainly have, but not the reality.  Both of our big suitcases are packed.  Our carry-ons are loaded... Now, how many times this week will I re-pack and re-load?  Only time will tell. 
I'm so thankful for the many friends who have offered to help us with the older 3 while we're gone.  We are blessed so much more than we deserve.

Ethiopia, Here we come!

Last Friday we received our court date and will be in Ethiopia mid-April.  I'm not going to give any more details than that just in case you're the type who will come to my house and rob it.  Since Friday we've been looking for the best air routes to take us to meet our son, scheduling home study update visits, scheduling education phone calls, and making arrangements for our older kids for when we're out of country.  It seems weird even saying that:  out of country. 
Finally, after over a year, we're going to meet our son.  I've so enjoyed the pictures we've received after fellow-sojourners have returned from HH.  He appears to be well and even thriving.  Now it's time for Mama to check it out, herself.

Every week for my job, I publish a newsletter for the ministry department I oversee for our church.  On the 2nd page, I try to include a personal reflection.  This is what I included, today.  It has nothing to do with the adoption.  It is, however, in relation to something deeply personal that's happening in a relationship outside my family.  Namely this:  My best friend is moving away.  We've lived in Lincoln for about 10 years, and she's the best friend I've made in that time.  I adore her.  And God's moving her hours away from here.  I'm almost at the point where I can say it outload without tearing up.  Almost.  This type of writing is helping me process my emotions.  Thanks for your understanding.

Then Job stood up, tore his robe, and shaved his head. He fell to the ground and worshiped, saying:

Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
and naked I will leave this life.
The LORD gives, and the LORD takes away.
Praise the name of Yahweh. Job 1:20-21

Corrie Ten Boom said it well: Hold everything in your hands lightly, otherwise it hurts when God pries your fingers open.

That’s the type of quote that we can all read, nod in agreement, and say, Yes, she’s so right.  That’s the right attitude, Corrie. Way to go, Sister. 

Until it’s from us that God takes away.  Can we say it when it’s us?  Can we both tear our robes and fall to the ground in worship?   I’m amazed by Job 1:20-21.  Perhaps, however, even more amazing is Job 1:22:
Throughout all this Job did not sin or blame God for anything. 

He didn’t blame God?  The LORD took away… Job mourned; he cried; he suffered intensely… and yet Job didn’t place blame.  He worshipped. 

I did a quick search on biblegateway.com to verify this assumption, and I think it’s true:  Worship and sacrifice are VERY, VERY tied together.  When we can still worship at a point of loss, that is truly a sacrifice of praise.   

Some other really smart person said: All things belong to God, absolutely, to be given as a gift, not a claim, to be taken back without wrong. There is no talk of human 'rights.' The Lord is the sovereign owner of all, and Job rejoices in this wonderful fact.

Lenten Goal

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with godliness, godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.  For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they will keep you from being useless or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  The person who lacks these things is blind and shortsighted and has forgotten the cleansing from his past sins. 2 Peter 1:5-9 (emphasis mine)

I've decided what I'm going to try to give up for Lent:  Being a selfish jerk.  I should probably give up my morning coffee, but I think that might severely limit my ability to give up the selfish-jerk thing.  Let me tell you how I came to this Lenten goal.

Dennis had scheduled, for 8:15 this morning, a guy (hereafter referred to as "Guy #1") to come do something at our house. I, of course, was the one who had to be there to meet Guy #1, but I didn’t have any contact info for Guy #1.

Here are my text messages to Dennis:

8:37:  He’s not here, yet.

9:02: 47 minutes late

(9:06:  I try to call Dennis’s cell phone.  It goes to voice mail.)

Back to texting:

9:10:  approaching angry at this point.  Can’t be held responsible for my attitude IF he ever shows up.

No response from my husband, so I changed my tactics and called his work phone.  No answer.

So I E-mailed: “Unless you’re lying in a roadside ditch, I suggest you read your texts and respond.”  Again, nothing. 

At 9:25, I gave up and left for work.

At 10:11, I get a return call from Dennis telling me “sorry,” he’d been in a meeting and when he checked his E-mail, Guy #1 had written to apologize; he’d never put the appointment on his calendar.

For over 2 hours I’d worked myself into an ulcer, and Guy #1 didn’t even know I was on planet Earth.  In those two hours, I was definitely NOT showing self control, endurance, godliness, brotherly affection or love in increasing measure. No, I was being a selfish jerk, thinking it was all about me, and doing harm only to myself. (Thankfully Guy #1 didn’t show up at 9:24.  Being an example of godliness wasn’t on my to-do list at that point.) 

If you see me in the next 40 days stomping my foot because I didn’t get my own way, feel free to hold me accountable.  However, if I have coffee in my hand, leave it alone.

Whose Journey is it, anyway?

The LORD is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack. He lets me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.  He renews my life; He leads me along the right paths
for His name’s sake. Psalm 23:1-3 (HCSB)

I often find it helpful to look at a really familiar passage of Scripture in a translation that isn’t familiar to me.  I can see it with fresh eyes.  That was true in my morning devo time, today.  Look at verse 3, above: He leads me along the right paths for His name’s sake. 
One thing that has clearly been a theme of the different studies and books I’m currently working through is that my life is intended to be for HIS glory.  I’m on this earth in February, 2012, for HIS Name’s sake, not my own. 
What a radical re-direction of thought!  You may be saying, “Well, duh, Julie.”  But for me it is a big deal because I’m taking that truth from “head knowledge” to “heart certainty.”  And it isn’t the easiest transition God has ever asked of me. 
For those of you who haven’t had first-hand experience with adoption, I’ll let you in on two secrets:

#1, Everyone has a story about someone they know who has adopted.  Sometimes it’s quite encouraging; sometimes it’s a horror story. 

#2, Everyone thinks you need to hear their story. 

Here’s what God is teaching me:  While I may get some advice that I may need in the future, I’m not supposed to take direction from the horror stories; I’m also not supposed to take direction from the encouraging stories.  I’m supposed to take direction from Him because it’s HIS glory I’m after on this journey.