Thanksgiving and The Journey

The Journey by Max Lucado



I drove the family to Grandma’s last night for Thanksgiving. Three hours into the six-hour trip, I realized that I was in a theology lab. A day with a car full of kids will teach you a lot about God. Transporting a family from one city to another is closely akin to God transporting us from our home to his. A journey is a journey, whether the destination be the Thanksgiving table or the heavenly one. Both demand patience, a good sense of direction, and a driver who knows that the feast at the end of the trip is worth the hassles in the midst of the trip. For me, six hours on the road is a small price to pay for my mom’s strawberry cake. I don’t mind the drive because I know the reward. I have three decades of Thanksgivings under my belt, literally. As I drive, I can taste the turkey. Hear the dinner-table laughter. Smell the smoke from the fireplace.I can endure the journey because I know the destiny. For some of you, the journey has been long. Very long and stormy. In no way do I wish to minimize the difficulties that you have had to face along the way. Some of you have shouldered burdens that few of us could ever carry. You have bid farewell to life-long partners. You have been robbed of life-long dreams. You have been given bodies that can’t sustain your spirit. You have spouses who can’t tolerate your faith. You have bills that outnumber the paychecks and challenges that outweigh the strength. And you are tired. Let me encourage you with a parallel between your life’s journey and the one our family took last night. It’s worth it. As I write, the Thanksgiving meal is over. My legs are propped up on the hearth. My tablet is on my lap. I have every intention of dozing off as soon as I finish this chapter. The turkey has been attacked. The giblet gravy has been gobbled. The table is clear. The kids are napping. And the family is content. As we sat around the table today, no one spoke of the long trip to get here. No one mentioned the requests I didn’t honor. No one grumbled about my foot being on the accelerator when their hearts were focused on the banana splits. No one complained about the late hour of arrival. Yesterday’s challenges were lost in today’s joy. God never said that the journey would be easy, but he did say that the arrival would be worthwhile. Remember this: God may not do what you want, but he will do what is right … and best. He’s the Father of forward motion. Trust him. He will get you home. And the trials of the trip will be lost in the joys of the feast. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll close my eyes. I’m a bit tired from the journey, and it feels good to rest.

November 21, 2007

My devotional calendar for today:

The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Deuteronomy 31:8

The past few days have been extremely discouraging - but I am reminded that we are not alone in this journey to our children. We have been called to these kids and we will persevere. Our path may change - but that may be part of the bigger plan for us as well.

Next week we could sure use extra prayers if anyone out there is a person of prayer. Next week looks like it is an important week for both our adoption processes......our Haiti director is in Port au Prince next week and will be tracking down our file. She has power of attorney for us - so we are praying that she is able to get answers and hopefully get it moving through the process a little quicker. China has indicated they are now approving concurrent adoptions - but there are some new restrictions and procedures that concern us greatly dependent upon when we bring Big A home. So definitely be in prayer for our China process as we find out what our options are with that situation.

Blessings to all during this wonderful Thanksgiving season!

October update

Update from the creche in Haiti.....

"Our little man is incredibly sweet, so easy to love. He's very easygoing and laid back, laughs easily and loves to play and be silly. He gives great big bear hugs and loves to snuggle. He enjoys looking at books, and is interactive with them. He can point to his head, ears and nose when you ask him. He is one of two kids in the Boat Room that can do a somersault by himself, and he only learned to do it a few nights ago. He weighs 25 pounds 9 ounces this month."

We cannot wait to get this little one home. Sometimes the wait weighs heavily on us - but most of the time I am comforted knowing he is in a safe place and he is being held and loved while waiting for his family!

We traveled to Nebraska this weekend to lay our sweet Grandpa to rest by his beloved wife. It was sad - yet comforting to know he is no longer suffering. I miss them both. It was nice seeing family and friends.....and after all these years - going through northeast Nebraska still gives me a sense of "coming home". A big thank you to all who helped make us the wonderful lunch and made us feel so at home. We love and miss all of you!