The number ONE question we get about our adoption is "When is he coming home?!"
Answer: We don't know! TRUST ME, when I know, you'll know!!
It could be longer than we thought....so, I feel that sorrow creeping back in here and there.
BUT my friends threw me a crazy awesome baby shower Friday. As my friend, Tracy, said "For someone who doesn't like crowds, you had a lot of friends there!" Oh man, it was overwhelming how many friends came out to share in the joy of our son. For the shower, they asked me to share my 'tambourine' story. So, here it is:
Answer: We don't know! TRUST ME, when I know, you'll know!!
It could be longer than we thought....so, I feel that sorrow creeping back in here and there.
BUT my friends threw me a crazy awesome baby shower Friday. As my friend, Tracy, said "For someone who doesn't like crowds, you had a lot of friends there!" Oh man, it was overwhelming how many friends came out to share in the joy of our son. For the shower, they asked me to share my 'tambourine' story. So, here it is:
Issa T*** meaning “I have a great story to tell about my Messiah!”
T*** is his Ethiopian name meaning “his story” or “I have a great story to tell.” We can't share his ET name yet, because of some legal/process stuff. We named him Issa meaning Jesus in Arabic. We first heard the name Issa from an Omani friend studying at TU. Then, when we found out about our son 2 days before Christmas and he was actually born in a "Jesus type town"...can't share that yet either, but we thought Issa was more than fitting.
This past year, I really connected with the story of the Israelite women coming out of Egypt. Exodus records the story of their praise! Through the harsh and sorrowful time in Egypt, to the journey that they knew little about, they were ready to praise God. After crossing the Red Sea on dry ground, after seeing Pharaoh’s chariots be washed away, it says in Exodus 15:20
"Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambourines and dancing."
Seems odd for them to have a tambourine handy. On the long journey, when we don’t know where we are going, when sorrow is deep, we pack our tambourine in faith believing that our Lord is doing something. We have to be ready to praise him!
Last fall, I kept hearing God say “pack your tambourine.” I would file that away in my heart. Then, as my friend, Donna, was sharing at church about hoping in the sorrow, one morning, I heard God say it again. “Pack your tambourine.” Since I was literally packing for our big "around the world" trip, I felt he wanted me to literally pack a tambourine. So, I did.
On a 20 day journey, with several stops, I packed and unpacked my tambourine several times. Anytime I wanted something out of my suitcase, I had to open it up and that darn tambourine would make a noise reminding me to be ready to praise. By the time we reached our last stop on our journey, I was so tired of that tambourine. It kept making noise and kept taunting me that I thought I was going to see God do something big in our adoption during that trip. However, he hadn’t! The last night, I packed it all up again. Ready to go home…I remember packing it thinking “that stupid tambourine. I thought I had heard from the Lord…guess not!”
Then, the next morning, hours before leaving for the airport, we got a message from our case worker “CALL ME!” Sitting on the beach in India, with tambourine in hand, we saw our son’s face for the 1st time.
T*** is his Ethiopian name meaning “his story” or “I have a great story to tell.” We can't share his ET name yet, because of some legal/process stuff. We named him Issa meaning Jesus in Arabic. We first heard the name Issa from an Omani friend studying at TU. Then, when we found out about our son 2 days before Christmas and he was actually born in a "Jesus type town"...can't share that yet either, but we thought Issa was more than fitting.
This past year, I really connected with the story of the Israelite women coming out of Egypt. Exodus records the story of their praise! Through the harsh and sorrowful time in Egypt, to the journey that they knew little about, they were ready to praise God. After crossing the Red Sea on dry ground, after seeing Pharaoh’s chariots be washed away, it says in Exodus 15:20
"Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambourines and dancing."
Seems odd for them to have a tambourine handy. On the long journey, when we don’t know where we are going, when sorrow is deep, we pack our tambourine in faith believing that our Lord is doing something. We have to be ready to praise him!
Last fall, I kept hearing God say “pack your tambourine.” I would file that away in my heart. Then, as my friend, Donna, was sharing at church about hoping in the sorrow, one morning, I heard God say it again. “Pack your tambourine.” Since I was literally packing for our big "around the world" trip, I felt he wanted me to literally pack a tambourine. So, I did.
On a 20 day journey, with several stops, I packed and unpacked my tambourine several times. Anytime I wanted something out of my suitcase, I had to open it up and that darn tambourine would make a noise reminding me to be ready to praise. By the time we reached our last stop on our journey, I was so tired of that tambourine. It kept making noise and kept taunting me that I thought I was going to see God do something big in our adoption during that trip. However, he hadn’t! The last night, I packed it all up again. Ready to go home…I remember packing it thinking “that stupid tambourine. I thought I had heard from the Lord…guess not!”
Then, the next morning, hours before leaving for the airport, we got a message from our case worker “CALL ME!” Sitting on the beach in India, with tambourine in hand, we saw our son’s face for the 1st time.
Shower Hostesses: Belky, Haven, Megan, Laura, & Lauren. These ladies are literally some of my closest friends in all the world. They have prayed for miracles, when I didn't have it in me.
 If you know me, this is how I feel abt opening gifts! |  But this is the look I will give you! (wink wink) |
 My Sirah! She has been here for all my big moments in life.  Family, family...so glad Erica could drive in just for the shower. |  Had a few friends come into town or stick around just for my shower!  Mom and a baby! If you wonder where I get it from... |
