The "Chosen" Five

The following is a note I wrote a few months ago, I have not been ready to publish it till today.  Pardon my scattered thoughts, this was written in a moment of passion for my children...

I would like to take a few minutes and vent to you all.  You see tonight I had yet one more ignorant person say one more inconsiderate comment in front of one of my precious chickens.  Seven of the most cutting words to an adoptive mom and even more cutting to a "Chosen" (adopted) child.

"You FINALLY had ONE OF YOUR OWN."

My husband seeing steam pouring out of my ears quickly told me to go to the car, saving this person from the rage of a million momma bears. I promptly went out with my arm around the child who heard these hurtful words to the car that contained my other precious chosen children. By the time I reached the car I had tears in my eyes.  After a brief talk with mostly the chicken that heard these words but asking all to listen so they heard me tell them not to let people cheapen who they are, I let my mind start to process and I felt the need to tell you all why this is such a big deal to me.

There are two main reasons I have a hard time with these words, two reasons besides the obvious hurt it inflicts my children with.  

The first reason is simply this: What makes a child "my own"?

DNA? Last names? Looking the same? Fitting into a "mold"?  Carrying them inside me for 9months?

(I'll tell you this,  I can honestly say I prayed, pleaded, and cried tears of anguish for far longer over my "chosen" children, I had far more sleepless nights, far more frantic midnight calls, far more worry and stress over my chosen children, I have endured more criticism, more pain, more agony over my chosen children, and if "carrying them inside me for 9 months" makes a child my own then I should have twice the number of children I have!!)

What makes a child my own? Are they not on loan to us from The Lord, regardless of their origins? Did He not in His vast wisdom allow us to care for them for whatever time we have them on this earth?

The second reason is purely a desire for others to view adoption the way God views it, the way He sees His adoption of all of us.

I want to ask these people "Why can I claim to be a child of the King, when I'm just simply His "adopted" child?" 

Do we look at our own salvation, our own adoption as God just settling? I'm sure each of these individuals would reply with a resounding "NO!".  So why, why can't they make the connection to earthly adoption? We as Christians love to think of ourselves as joint heirs with Christ, enjoying every benefit of being a child of God, but then turn around and don't understand the greatest earthly picture of this very thing! 

I think as much as it broke this mothers heart to hear those words and the careless words of so many others, it breaks my heavenly Fathers heart even more. To think He has given us such a beautiful earthly picture of what He does for us, and so many that claim Him don't except the very same thing for those precious, precious children on this earth. 

I'm done with my tirade, but will ask one thing of you.  If you know someone who has adopted, been adopted or is contemplating adoption, please pray for them. Pray that their hearts will be protected from hurtful words and actions. Pray that the parents can show these children the beauty of living out what The Lord has done for us right here on earth. 

Dear God...

Number 5 just came to me and said: "Mommy, I prayed when I was in the potty. I Said 'Dear God, please help the kids to come home from school soon' oh and I said 'Amen' cause I was done"

Sharing

Today is Mothers Day.  Mothers Day.  For most today marks fun times with children or a dear mother.

Today, much like years past I felt myself sharing.  Sharing the day.  Sharing the day with 4 other "mothers".  As I listened to a chorus of 5 voices saying "Happy Mothers Day" and one sweet Little chicken getting mixed up and saying "Happy Birthday!!" I let my mind wander.  As I ate my breakfast in bed with 6 chickens all sprawled out around me I let my mind wander.  As I sat in church with four chickens looking all grown up I let my mind wander.  As I walked tonight with two almost grown chickens I let my mind wander.

I wander to thoughts of mothers who have lost, lost the ability to see smiling faces in the morning, wishing them a Happy Mothers Day.  Maybe even one tiny face messing up and saying Happy Birthday.  Thoughts of mothers who have lost the ability to eat breakfast in bed with children sprawled on their bed.  Mothers who don't get to marvel about where the time has gone as they look at their children looking all grown up in the pew next to them.  I wander to thoughts of how four woman are spending their day.  Four woman who have had their children taken from them.  Four woman who sacrifice their "Mothers Days".  Four woman who don't have their children to spoil them...because they are spoiling me.

I am continually in awe of Gods ability to make something far more glorious than we could ever imagine out of the filth we give Him.  I have seen it time and time again in my own sin He takes the mess and gives back something glorious, when my heart is repentant and returned to His.  I often wander back to this simple truth when I look at my chickens, and especially on certain days, birthdays, Christmas, Mothers Day.  Mothers Day.

I cant help think as I am surrounded by children and my heart is full to bursting just how these woman must be feeling on this day of all days.  I cant help but thank God for the gift of caring for these tender lives.  And I cant help thanking these four woman for bringing these five precious little lives into this world for me to raise.

My heart breaks as I think what their hearts are going through tonight.  My heart hurts for their loss.  But my heart is so very full as I think about a God who cared enough for me to bring these amazing chickens into my life.  A God who truly makes beauty out of garbage.  And I am once again thankful that four woman share a very special day with me. HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!!

Boys

It all started one summer day a few years ago when I looked out my living room window to see my then 5 year old chicken flying through the air.  I took a deep breath and decided to investigate further before making my presence known.  What I saw next sent shivers down my spine, Michael (5) was standing on a old telephone wire spool in the "ready" position, Justin just a few feet from him was sitting on the ground holding a sapling tree top on the ground with his hands, just as I became aware of what was about to happen Michael jumps and Justin lets go and SMACK!!  The tree hits Michael and he goes flying through the air, hits the ground about 10 feet away, stands up, shakes it off, laughs and climbs back on the spool!!  I quickly run outside and tell the boys in my calmest mommy voice I could muster "Please do not do those types of things in front of the living room window." They both stare at me blankly and I state "I know you are boys, I know you are going to do and have done many unsafe things, I just really don't want to witness it first hand, thank you"  They promptly turned the spool on its side and rolled it into the woods before their crazy mom could come to her senses.

That day was not the first I have witnessed boys being, well, boys. In my almost 10 years of rearing boys I have witnessed one or more of my boys:

~Riding bikes into trees purposely.
~Jumping onto a 6 month old.
~"flying" kittens.
~"sledding" down stairs in laundry baskets.
~Dead frogs, skewered (and yes one of my boys knew how to help his poor momma spell that word) turkeys, pockets full of worms, dirt, rocks, and a slimy concoction that I don't even want to know what its origins were.
~ Zip-lining into cement with only a boy holding the other end.
~Shooting arrows at each other
~Locking a boy into a garbage can and rolling him around the yard.
~"flying" brothers.
~Climbing a tree at 3 years of age and getting stuck 30 feet up.
~Jumping off the shed roof
~Jousting
~trying to give each other "shoots" with sharpened shards of wood.
~a 4 year old boy's thumb being crushed.
~ Sandwiching a younger brother in between two mattresses.
~playing dodge-ball with baseballs.

and I have come to one simple conclusion...Don't ask.  Don't ask what they are going to do.  Don't ask if there are sharp objects involved.  Don't ask who is planning on breaking a bone.  Don't ask who will be gushing blood.  Don't ask why they need the first aid kit.  Don't ask how the stick got impaled in their leg.  Don't ask just how they managed to get a black eye when all they said they were gonna do is play Frisbee.  Don't ask.

Clever

I'm stamping my parents 40th anniversary save the dates and Kayle comes up to me and says...
Mom what are you doing? (Before I can respond)
Ohhhhh I see, clever!!

Biting chickens

To date I have bitten 5 chickens....guess which ones...

Conversations with Kayle

Conversation with number five today..
After he informed me I had two chickens in my mixer I asked him...
"How many Kayles are there"
Kayle looks around and says
"There are not two Kayles, only one"
I reply
"That's cause God only made one of you, that makes you super special"
With huge eyes he says
"He made me?"
"Yup" I say "and everything God makes is so very special to Him."
He then looks at me very quizzically and says
"But I don't even have a power to fly!!"
"Nope you don't, He loves us and we are still special without superpowers!!"

Oh how I love this boy!!!!