Praying for YouYou
Please pray for our friends daughter YouYou (pronounced yo-yo) she is having open heart surgery today. www.prayingforyouyou.blogspot.comI will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. (Ezek. 36:26–27)
This we now know: the heart is central. It matters—deeply. When we see with the eyes of the heart, which is to say, when we see mythically, we begin to awaken, and what we discover is that things are not what they seem. We are at war. We must fight for the life God intends for us, which is to say, we must fight for our heart, for it is the wellspring of that life within us.
Standing in the way of the path to life—the way of the heart— is a monstrous barrier. It has stopped far too many pilgrims dead in their tracks for far too long. There is a widespread belief among Christians today that the heart is desperately wicked—even after a person comes to Christ.
It is a crippling belief.
And it is untrue.
(The Sacred Romance, 53–54)
Just wanted to share this. It is from Craig McConnell. He is part of the ministry team at Ransomed Heart and his blog can be found HERE.
I’m standing alongside Manhattan Beach Blvd. December 23rd waving greetoriously* to sore seated commuters in holiday traffic who are hoping they’ll make it through the intersection during the next green light… to hope again at the next intersection. I’m waving, smiling, doing a holiday jig and blowing kisses while the drivers are either, with fixed glaze avoiding all eye contact with me, looking past me with laser-beam dismissal or waving with ear-to-ear grins joyously. Have I mentioned yet I was in a classy, far out five star Santa outfit?**I always knew you existed… I love you Santa…. Merry Christmas!” The responsive-warm-ones hailed me with cheer, some yelling out, “
Horns were honked. Little children froze in their car seats and shyly covered their mouths when mom pointed me out to them. Women gawked. Grown men:dock workers, military satellite intelligence officers… phone book distributors, accountants, and two geeky plumbers ALL gave me their version of the beefy nod and wave-with-hands-gripping-the-steering-wheel.
There I was… anonymous… in a Santa outfit… getting the same response a rock star, Obama, General MacArthur, or a superhero would. I’ll admit it, I was soaking it in. Loving it, milking it, working it.
After gigging rush hour traffic, Lori (Mrs. Claus AKA “Santa’s Helper”) and I head to a friend’s home to make a surprise appearance at her Christmas party.
For the sake of brevity I’m leaving out the in-route stories of dropping into my daughter’s Pilates Studio for a photo-op working out (as best I could with a pillow cummerbund); running into a Vietnamese Nail Salon to give the shy staff hugs and offer up a robust “Ho, ho, ho!” in my distinctive pirate accent; and hanging out of the car window like my Lab Retriever wishing everyone the very merriest of seasons.
I pop into our friend’s party, spread a little cheer, hand out a few gifts and pose for pictures with every woman in the place. Everyone loves me, I’m Santa… I’m digging it.
The next stop is a set up/staged appearance for our two granddaughters: Jacqueline (3 ½) and Annie (2). The plan was for Lori to ring a few “reindeer” bells near the house which would flush the kids out onto the lawn with the anticipation of maybe seeing Santa in the neighborhood. From the front yard they would see “Santa” moseying down the street. The plan was that, in the dark, they wouldn’t recognize that it was me/grandpa/”Aboo”*** in a costume, and I would greet them by name with a heartfelt “Ho, ho, ho!” (minus the pirate accent), promise them some gifts, squeeze in a “Jesus is the reason for the season” and then graciously move on to tend to my reindeer and head to New Zealand.
So… as planned I’m five houses down the street approaching my granddaughters who are huddled together on the sidewalk whispering to Mrs. Claus, Mom, Dad, their Auntie and friends/family (similar to watching wildlife move about from the edge of a meadow at dusk). I’m about a house away and I see my older granddaughter leap into her mother’s arms… she’s scared to death! It strikes me that with my Santa boots, Santa wig, Santa hat and Santa shoulder pads I’m probably 6’8”. I’m Hulk Hogan or Keith Richards in red velvet, a monster with a fake beard and a fuzzy hat about to pounce on her. My buccaneer “Ho, ho, ho”“I don’t ever want to see Santa again… I don’t like Santa”. So much for my super star status! Meanwhile, the younger one, Annie, runs up to me… front and center, two feet away, and beneath red curls her full-moon eyes are gazing up at me in total wonderment. By the time I looked down and noticed her she’s in full stride, boldly standing there in exhilarated-run-together sentences with fast-forward age appropriate slurring of speech she gushes out, “Santa, Santa, Santa, I love you… you’re awesome Santa, Santa, I love you, love you, love you” and somewhere in all of this I heard the word “Tink” mentioned. I knew she was referring to Tinkerbelle, for she had been talking of nothing else for 64 days. She wanted Tinkerbelle! Tinkerbelle anything: sweat shirt, doll, coloring book, ring tone, dress, DVD, shoes … anything “Tink”. didn’t help! She buries her head in the crook of her mom’s neck crying,
Standing in the presence of Santa, her young heart free to express itself safely, she gushed searching for and finding every word she had that could speak of her adoration… and desire. It was desire… yet her marveling reverence was predominating. It was a moment she wasn’t going to miss and I didn’t want to end. Annie was putting it all out there. It was innocent, it was sweet, and it was as pure as anything in this life… the perfect meritage of love and longing.
I said goodbye, they all headed indoors, I headed up the street looking for a sleigh. Alone I started weeping. So in love, so very, very happy and longing/aching for my first moment in His presence in exhilarated-run-together sentences with fast-forward age appropriate slurring of speech…
– Craig McConnell
* So… is it really a crime to create new words?
** While I was in Australia with the Ransomed Heart Team Lori and her girlfriend Leah spent a snowy week designing and sewing the certifiably authentic Santa outfit. We’re talking a work of beauty… the whole enchilada… lined coat, white gloves, fur topped boots et cetera.
***When my daughter was expecting our first grandchild I got the harebrain idea that the kids ought to call me “Captain”. I thought it would be respectful, fun… Craig…unique. The best laid plans of mice and men… So, Jacqueline was born and a few months later she decided I ought to be called “Aboo”… it stuck.
we get our daughter today! in just a few hours. we have posted over at Innocent Lamb
I posted this as a comment on Kim’s blog but wanted to say here as well.
Eli, as I am posting this for mom, it is 3:48 in the morning here and I am writing this comment with tears in my eyes (you know I cry at a lot) I am so very proud of you! You are becoming a fine young man. It is my hope and prayer that you will become so much more and better of a man than I am in every way. I can’t put you on my lap physically right now as we normally do but I am looking into your eyes in this picture and telling you that I want to bless you. I want you to understand how very, very happy you make me. How glad I am that your heart is sensitive to others and that you honor me with your obedience. This year marks a very different year for you. (you would be thinking what a weirdo Dad is as I am still crying) In the past we have told you you could be whatever you wanted to be and we would help you accomplish that. We have been telling you that that is less and less true as we see God shaping you into what he wants you to be. I don’t know yet what that will be exactly, but I know it will be someone who is creative and loves imagination. A person who loves friends. These are good traits! This year you become a young man. No longer a boy and with that comes all sorts of challenges. You are more than up to these challenges! In fact you are so up to them that I often don’t think you need guidance. But i know that at times you do. This year we will talk more and more about what being a good man means. We will take adventures together and other men will also speak into your life about these things. I want you to know that I am amazed today to think that that little baby I walked around and around our house your first night home and that stood in my lap at such a young age has become who you have become. Never loose your generosity and compassion for others that are wronged. Never lose your creativity because the world mostly doesn’t value that. They want you to step into line as most of them have and say things are ok as they are. It comforts them to know others have given up as well. The only people remembered long after they have died are those with dreams that they are willing to chase and pursue and make into a reality. You can be such a person
Eli, may God bless this 13th year of your life, may he provide you with assurances of who you can be with his help. May you reach your next birthday with confidence in your life’s direction.
I love you with all my heart.
Dad
We have posted over at www.inocentlamb.wordpress.com if you would like to follow our journey to our daughter in China. You can click HERE.
It is my birthday for a few more minutes here on the East Coast. It has been a wild one. I really hadn’t thought about it until late tonight. You can go over to Innocent Lamb and read Kim’s report of our crazy day. Basically we sat on the runway a couple minutes too long this morning and it pretty much screwed up our whole day and our travel schedule.
Anyway, tomorrow is another day and in fact tomorrow is the King’s birthday. Happy Birthday Elvis.
Let me try to answer some of the questions I have been asked.
We are leaving early Wednesday morning from our local airport and we will fly to Atlanta then to Newark and then over the top of the globe to Beijing. Caleb our middle son is going with us. That decision seems strange to many. We were not going to take any of the kids but due to it being helpful for Rachel to see another child with these people who she is being sent away with, it is a great opportunity for anyone to see China. It would be difficult to keep up with all them and give her the attention she needs and the cost would be very difficult as well. We prayed about this and Eli our oldest actually suggested Caleb. He is very good at always playing with younger ones, so to us this all makes sense.
We will be in Beijing seeing some of the sites until we fly on Saturday night (China time: Think 14 hours ahead of Central Time). Sunday will be getting used to Wuhan and trying to sleep before the big day. Monday morning (we believe) we will go to a government building and someone will open the door to the room we will be waiting in and we will go to the door, and there we will be handed our daughter!
****** We would very much appreciate your prayers. Both for safe travels, our boys at home but mostly for Rachel to somehow be prepared for this HUGE change in her life.
The rest of that week will be spent taking care of paperwork there in Wuhan, touring the orphanage, seeing some sites around the area and getting to know each other.
We will fly to Guangzhou (home of the US Consulate) on 1/16 and we will be there taking care of all the necessary steps for Rachel to become a US Citizen. On the 21st we will take a train to Hong Kong and then the next day starts the long trip back home.
We will be posting updates as often as we can. At this point I think we will probably post all the updates at Kim’s blog Innocent Lamb
I will try to either note here that there is a new post or copy it.
We are packing (people go to war with less stuff) and trying to get last minute things crossed off our list. We have wired our money, have our plane tickets, bought apparently one of everything in Walgreens, packed voltage converters, mentally prepared for a huge range in temperatures and even have a portable pulse oximeter so that we can get an idea of how Rachel’s heart is doing.
Hopefully I will post again before we leave.
We all listened to this song together as we were riding in the van tonight. It expresses part of this Christmas.
We have purchased plane tickets to the other side of the world! Honestly I dread that flight, but at least this time Kim and I can put Caleb and his skinny self between us. Last time I flew that long a flight I was between two very large guys (read misery). But, it will all be more than worth it to get to Rachel.
We have been waiting on ‘a’ Rachel for over 13 years. Eli, Caleb and Titus were all going to be Rachel…but the name didn’t seem to fit.
So we are leaving on the 7th of January which is my birthday! It will be an exciting day for sure.
I’ve been thinking a lot about the idea of a coming child. I “preached” last Sunday. (that is joke that a friend an I shared about teaching/sharing/speaking/preaching) I try to be conversational…. but The idea of Advent is that we are “toward the coming”, something is coming and we are moving closer to that. As I have thought about us approaching the day we see our daughter face to face for the first time, I can’t help but think about the idea that Jesus comes again and again. That anticipation of finding him in all this that we call Christmas.
Neither of these is easy. Finding Rachel or finding Jesus in the middle of what can seem like Chaos. Both can be overwhelming and can be robbed of Joy. there is though this amazing thing that I am trying to learn. That Joy runs fear out of the room. When Joy comes, fear leaves. So I am asking for Joy, trying to concentrate on what has come and not on what ‘might’ come, and realizing that Joy in part comes from realizing life is a gift.
our TA (travel approval) is signed. Although we don’t have it yet. Our agency is trying to get a copy of it in China and set up our appointment at the US Consulate. Yesterday afternoon was crazy, on top of having company and more on the way, it looked like we were going to leave on Christmas Day. We frantically were faxing documents and talking to a travel agent and looking on line.
The prices for flights were outrageous!
It looks like now we will wait to travel in January. Good news is flights will be cheaper (I hope). Bad news the “donation” to the orphange goes up $2000. Worst news of all is we don’t get to hold Rachel quite as soon.
