Waiting and Water

A couple of things rolling around in my heart and mind right now, so forgive the odd combination of topics....


Waiting
Such a simple word that brings about so many emotions.  The climax of the end of our interviews has resulted in exactly what I guessed it would....much waiting.  I was hopeful we would have a draft for review by Wednesday.  Now it's Thursday and no draft.  That either means she's still writing it or that it's somewhere in the chop being reviewed by either our home study agency or our adoption agency.  Either way, it's difficult not knowing and waiting.  I'm certain this is just preparation for the vast quantity of waiting that lies ahead of us.  Prayers for patience and graciousness as we wait are appreciated.

Water
Lately, I have found myself so incredibly emotional.....a dear friend was sharing with me recently about her prayers for the newest Rausch and there I was with tears flowing down my cheeks.  I've never seen myself as a sensitive person, but my heart is hangin' out on my sleeve right now.  The funny thing is that I find myself welcoming it.  Welcoming the shaping, the molding, the changing going on inside our little family. 

Photo from Moments With Love blog 

I first saw the picture above while reading the blog of another adoptive family.  She was sharing the picture of one of her visits to Uganda and how she saw people collecting water from streams like the one pictured above. The image is more than I can take at times.  Let's just say I've shed my share of tears over this picture.  It's branded on my heart and mind and is a difficult image for me to shake.  I've not shared it here; only with Nick.  But, tonight we were at a bookstore while Nick was shopping for a new Bible.  They had a display of children available for sponsorship.  In front of the display were two small bottles of water.  One was filtered and pure; the kind of water we as Americans take for granted and don't hesitate to pour on the ground before tossing its container into the recycling bin.  The other bottle was murky (at best), had things floating on the top, and plenty of silt settled on the bottom.  As I stood at the counter thinking about the simple things we take for granted, I shook the bottle.  It was dirty filthy and not something I would ever dream of drinking.  But, millions of people around the world do just that every day - and are thankful for it! 

This is by no means means to be a guilt trip....just some things I need to share.  I swear I must have been living my life under a rock OR I was just really good at ignoring such conditions.  I know in my mind that I've seen the pictures before and heard the stories before, but they are so incredibly real to me now.  For that I am thankful and forever changed.