Two months of joy, delight, celebration, and experiencing the
promises and roots of family run deeper and deeper.
It’s amazing.
HE made us a family and has overwhelmed us with miracles.
Abounding miracles.
A little boy who spoke only SiSwati and was plagued with
night terrors in April is now completely bi-lingual and talks in his sleep
about his friends and his mama… while he dreams in English!
Once marked “abandoned”, this boy called “the one who
belongs” made the cottage a hot spot for the kids on base, took delight once he
figured out the concept of sharing, and made this mama’s heart dance when he
would shout outside to his friends, “I’m going to go ask my mom!” while
bounding in and joyfully shouting, “MAAAMAA!!!”
But even more importantly, He gets Jesus. He loves to pray.
He loves to worship. He understands that he belongs in a family. And that helps
him understand Jesus more.
Over the months, he’s watched this cake-baking,
paper-chain-making, party-throwing mama delight in the birthdays of those
who’ve never been celebrated. Most children and adults in the SiSwati culture
have never had a birthday party.
His 4th birthday is December 29th.
Lifa just went to stay at his dad’s house for Christmas and his birthday, but I
had to give him a taste of his very own birthday cake. I wanted him to hear his
name in a song. And I wanted him to be celebrated just for being him.
Once he got that… I could translate into 4-yr-old what Christmas is. Jesus’ birthday!
“Taste and see that the Lord is good…” Psalm 34:8a
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| Tshepiso getting in the pool with style! |
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| Nicole and Josiah on water-gun duty. |
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| Lifa-in-training. After summer rains, the pool started looking like the Guadalupe River . So I pulled out my tube to let him get some practice! The kids just weren't patient enough to let me blow it up all the way. |
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| Abigail making birthday bubbles. |
After celebrating him with family and friends,
Lifa was ecstatic to have a birthday party for Jesus.
For our Christmas celebration, we put on party hats, had ice
cream with sprinkles, and sang happy birthday to Jesus. We talked about how we
give gifts when we love people. And that Jesus loves us soooooo much and we
love Him soooooooo much that we give each other gifts to celebrate Jesus’ love.
Before we opened presents, he
said we needed to pray. With arms wrapped around his ready-to-be-opened gifts,
he squished his little eyes closed and said, “Thank you Jesus for ice cream.
Thank you Jesus for presents. Thank you Jesus for birthdays. Thank you Jesus
for food. Thank you Jesus for bathtubs. Thank you Jesus for you love. Aaamen.”
Thank you, thank you, thank you Jesus.
As you read this, say a “Thank you Jesus” and a prayer for
His mysterious and miraculous comforting presence around Lifa this Christmas
while he is with his father. And say it out loud. I prayed for the Holy Spirit
to let Lifa hear all the prayers prayed for him aloud, wherever they come from
and wherever he is.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you for sharing! This made my heart smile.
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