This is the picture of our family drawn by Brenna one year ago. At that time our dream of Joshua was incomplete. We had not yet seen his face, held him close, or heard him laugh. But he was very real to us just the same and we prayed for his safety and longed to have him home.
This is our family picture one year later. I can not tell you all the emotions that go with it. Joy and gratitude are at the top of the list.
This week I hung up all our new photos. Joshua was so thrilled. He used to point to the outdated family photos and ask, "Where or where is Joshua?"
Now Joshua is right in the center of our family picture. He is so happy to show them to everyone because HE is in them! He runs to point them out and proudly points out "Joshua!" and then the rest of his family.He asked this week for me to put away a collage of pictures we had in his room. They were pictures of Joshua while he was in the care center in Ethiopia. He pointed to them one day while we rocked and said, "Mommy no I love it Ethiopia pictures. Take it down."
I asked what picture he would like in his room.
He jumped off my lap, ran to the livingroom and grabbed one of the new family pictures. He said, "Joshua I love it this one! No Joshua self picture. Joshua family picture in Joshua room."
We are remembering the treasure of belonging this Thanksgiving week.
"Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!"
2 Cor. 9:15
