Grace and Glory

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I think I have written at least a dozen blog posts in my head over the past three weeks. Sometimes they were just snippets of our day. Other times they had some meaty length to them. All of them were moments I was eager to share with you. But alas, none of them made it to paper… or screen.

Life has been busy lately. I wish I could expound on each and every instance I longed to open the blog and write. Maybe one day soon. But for now, I will give you a quick rundown of some of the most notable moments of the past few weeks:

  1. David and Eliazar joined our family. We shared a bit about their story in last month’s newsletter. Something drew us to these boys from the moment we met them over a year ago. It was more than their obvious neglect. So when their application hit our hands, we knew without a doubt, God had brought them here.
    068A6588Each new addition is filled with its ups and downs, trials and joys as we adjust and get to know each other. With David and Eliazar it has been no different. We soon learned that Eliazar is deaf in one ear. This not only affects his speech, but has caused him to fall significantly behind in school. David is in kindergarten and struggles with behavioral problems. So much of their story is a mystery. We don’t know all the underlying reasons for some of their difficulties. But we purposefully embrace their presence at Roots & Wings. God has a plan for these boys. And we are delighted to take on the challenge of helping them discover what it is.
    David Small                         Eliazar Small

  2. Kena and Daniela are back. It is almost surreal. And yet welcoming them back was a much harder decision than you might think. Their home situation is still very bleak, marked with drugs, violence and abuse. Offering them security, with the very possible risk of it being ripped away from them again, is unsettling. It could cause far more damage than good. That same fear is already mirrored in Kena’s eyes. She tries so hard to be good, as though afraid that one wrong step will mean she won’t be back. Edits 201415 We don’t know what the outcome will be this time around. There’s no easy fix to their situation. But we will continue to fight for these two girls who stole our hearts so long ago. 
  3. We are over halfway through a four-week “evangelistic campaign” at Roots & Wings. What exactly does that mean? Well, for the past three Sundays we have invited all our moms as well as a few others in the community to join us for a mini-church service via DVD at Roots & Wings.I’m ashamed to say we didn’t jump at the chance when our church presented the campaign. In fact, it took us until the very final opportunity to sign up before we could no longer ignore the Spirit’s conviction. Giving up our beloved Sunday afternoons. For four weeks. To hang out with our children’s messy families.But isn’t that what Jesus would do? He gravitated toward the outcasts and the misfits. Like He exemplified, we are called to enter the mess. We are called to minister to broken families. Because Maria needs Jesus. Brenda needs Jesus. Blanca needs Jesus. ALL our daycare moms and families need Jesus. And we hope. We pray. We believe that one day soon they will find Him.
  4. Phase Two is SO CLOSE to being finished. Happy colors are beginning to brighten our walls, the tile is starting to form neat lines and patterns across the floor. Windows and doors will soon be installed, and before we know it, children will fill those rooms!_68A1512

We are excited to be living in this season, even with all its challenges and pressures and stresses and questions. Even on days when we wish the world would stop for just a moment and give us time to catch up. Because every new day, in the midst of each challenge, His grace appears.

For the Lord God is a sun and shield,
The Lord will give grace and glory.
No good thing will He withhold
From those who walk uprightly.
Psalm 84:11