Thursday, January 22, 2015

Turn Here

We had just spent a week of vacation setting up an office for Adam.We gathered all of the office supplies and files from around the house and organized them in this central command center. Adam cranked up the music on the newly installed surround sound and I was so happy to see him enjoying this little space he could call his own. The next day we got a phone call (isn't that what always what happens when we think we have life all figured out?) it was the coordinator who places exchange students. He asked if we would be willing to house a student for second semester. I laughed. "Well," I replied," our hearts are defiantly still open to the idea, but that room has just been turned into an office so there are some logistics we would have to work through." I told him I would talk it over with Adam when he got home and get back to him in a day or so.

Adam's reaction from the moment of hearing the news was...we'll do it. I was amazed by his confidence and admired his willingness to hand over his space. He said he would never let "stuff" get in the way of obeying God. You have to remember that this stuff had only been in place for a few hours literally. When he built the desk he joked that it was forever staying where it was assembled as it was too heavy to ever be moved. 

Moved it was. By millimeters it fit through the doorway. We had to take apart a closet and take it outside to get it back in as it would not fit through the kitchen, but we moved it. We bought a bed, and linens and made the room beautiful. 

We felt that this was God asking us a question. The question was, "is this really MY house?" You see we often say that it is God's house, but He wanted to know if one of His daughters needed a place to stay if we would welcome her. 

With great joy we welcomed Estelle into our family. She is beautiful, and funny and we love her. I can't imagine what we would have missed had we not said yes. She has brought us so much life, and laughter. I've never laughed so hard as we do at diner each night when we are trying to learn to speak in German. I feel young as I enter her world and take her to the mall and hang out with teenage girls. We exercise every night together and it is so fun as we challenge each other.

Just when I think I have my path all figured out, God says, "turn here". I am so glad that we did.

Estelle celebrated her 16th Birthday with us!