An Answered Prayer

Since August of last year 2012, I have been praying for someone to enter into our lives and come alongside us with our children. I have been praying for that one person who would want to love and know my children. I have been praying for that source of local help that seemed so evasive. We just didn’t have anyone in our lives ready or willing to make that commitment. I prayed for this person so that one day I could date my spouse again and confidently leave my children with a person I trusted, a person my kids trusted…let’s get real here…a person Yaya trusted. I prayed for this person so my kids could get a break from me. I prayed for this person because I so desperately was in need of a friend. I prayed for this person for so many reasons. And I doubted my God heard me…

When will I learn? Oh my Lord loves me so much. So much in fact, that instead of  sending me one person…he sent TWO!!  Isn’t that just like God?  To lavish his love on his children and exceed their expectations. Yep, it’s just like him. I sit in awe of what he is doing in the lives of the Williamsons.

Enter Jennifer and Harold. My answer to prayer. The hands and feet of Jesus to the Williamsons. There really aren’t words to describe my heart for them. There is so much to say about them, I don’t know where I would begin.

Last night, Eric and I went on a date. We went to California Pizza Kitchen and then to the movies. We saw the movie called, The Heat. We laughed in that movie for an hour and a half, we laughed so hard in fact we cried several times and I couldn’t breathe at several points. (As an aside, there is so much profanity in this film it is ridiculous…literally. But I wouldn’t change a single word.)

Friends there is something so healing and good about laughter. I have had one of the best days I’ve had in a year and in part, I believe it is because I laughed for 1.5 hours last night.  And it was all made possible because of Jennifer and Harold. Now a small part of me sorta hates them because they got the girls to go to bed in less than 20 minutes. So quickly did they get the girls down that even Noah remarked, “No one has ever gotten them to sleep so quickly.” And of course, while they were here there was no screaming or gnashing of teeth, which is what I got all day long before they arrived. But I digress.

Oh and let me say a word about sleep lest any of you have forgotten. For Yaya (and any kid really, but especially adopted kids) going to sleep is a supreme act of trust. For Yaya to go to sleep and so quickly shows her strong attachment to us and her confident level of trust with Jennifer and Harold. This is huge. We didn’t leave the kids in the middle of the day and come back before bedtime…we left at dinner and let our friends attempt bedtime. HUGE DEAL.

Can I just tell you how wonderful and glorious it was to go out and NOT WORRY about my kids?! I mean I didn’t check in once. I knew without a doubt they would contact me if there were trouble. When we got home the girls were down and Jennifer and Harold were playing video games with Noah. Jennifer’s first response to seeing us in the foyer at 9 pm was, “What are you doing here?! Why are you home so soon? Do you want the keys to our house?” I. Love. This. Woman. Sadly, we confessed that we didn’t really know how to “go out” anymore and didn’t know what else to do after the movie so we came home. We got a quick run down on the night and Jennifer even remembered to wash Yaya’s hair with the appropriate day’s medicated shampoo! She had remembered we had 4 different kinds and of course I have the bottles labeled so there you have it. It was so amazing. The only other person to keep my kids has been my Mom and she has only done that twice. So in 14 months Eric and I have had 3 dates. All that is about to change. We are moving Jennifer and Harold in…no, just kidding. But they said they would love to watch our kids for us again, praise the Lord.

Thank you Jesus for hearing my hearts cry and sending us these incredible people who have become so dear to us in such a short amount of time. It clearly was your divine pleasure to introduce us. How we love this couple.