Relationships and Friendships!

I've been waiting for-ever for TONIGHT! Even though it was a good day, it felt like tonight would never come...

A few of my sweet friends scheduled a time for us to do dinner and life together. This day has been on my calendar for a couple of weeks, and felt like it was never going to get here. You know how it goes when you've got something fun scheduled, and the wait until THE day feels like it takes forever. Well...tonight was the night, dinner with sweet friends, new introductions, and life together, the good the bad, and the super duper messy.

 Sometimes being different is fun, but it's almost always hard. I think I get so caught up in my own life that I forget that relationships are important. I have to remind myself that Christ has designed us to be in relationship with one another. Again relationships ARE important. I think I need to write that down and put it on my wall somewhere, because would you believe life with 5 beautiful children gets busy?! Sometimes however I think I am leery, or maybe even afraid to nurture personal relationships. Past hurts and disappointments have left me feeling a little more guarded, I seem to have built higher walls since we've started fostering and adopting.

Let's face it, life as a foster and adoptive parent looks very different from the traditional nuclear family. This life gets super messy, these kids have "issues", and often times we're not only parenting the children, but also their parents. It's not that my friends who have traditional families don't try to understand, they do. They are wonderfully compassionate loving people, it's just that I get tired of explaining, and worrying what my child may do, say or act like. Parenting in general is difficult, but then you throw in abuse, trauma, genetic disabilities, and the like it takes it up a notch (or ten).

All the above to say relationships are important! Tonight was the night, that a few of my sweet foster care, crazy Jesus loving friends set a dinner date. There were even introductions to be had, and you would have thought that we had all known each other forever. We've got a common bond, an understanding that goes beyond words. Our dinner together tonight was so much more than a dinner it was a balm to my soul. These Momma's have no idea how much they inspire me, and encourage me. We talked about everything from the foster care system, and adoptions, to theological reformation. Finding a common ground in Jesus is primary, and then finding a common ground with our children is just icing on the cake. Thankful is how I will rest my head tonight. Thankful for connections made, friendships that will last a lifetime, and support for my sometimes weary heart.

Thank you Jesus for these amazing women in my life!

(pictures next time!)