April Showers Bring May Flowers

APRIL SHOWERS 

Life is not a highway strewn with flowers Still it holds a goodly share of bliss When the sun gives way to April showers Here is the point you should never miss Though April showers may come your way They bring the flowers that bloom in May So if it's raining, have no regrets Because it isn't raining rain, you know (It's raining violets) And where you see clouds upon the hills You soon will see crowds of daffodils So keep on looking for a blue bird And list'ning for his song Whenever April showers come along

I found myself singing this song early this month.  It kind of rolled around in my mind over and over again.  It is so true for April.  Even though the days are getting longer, the flowers are blooming, the grass is growing and the trees go from dead to alive with green. The weather can be very unpredictable to say the least!  That thought got me thinking about our journey with Peter and this post.

When we started out to adopt Peter we were faced with all the "how to's", the endless stream of paperwork, the fund raising and then the education classes to prepare us for our guy.  There was such an abundance of encouragement as we marched on towards the day we would get Peter.  We, in the Inglin family, call that "best case scenario thinking".  God just calls that grace.

In Hong Kong with Peter on a field trip

Our first year with Peter was full of unpredictable weather!  Looking back on it, I realize what a little survivor we really have in him.  Nothing turned out the way we planned it to go.  Just like when we mom's change out the winter wear for the spring/summer clothes because of a warming trend only to face 2 solid weeks of gray skies and colder temperatures.  2 steps forward, 3 steps back.  We wanted to cocoon this little man into our safe home environment so that he could settle into his new home.  However, that would not be the case as we found ourselves caring for Thom's grieving Mom, the business of my Dad's death and the closing of his estate, and our grieving family often travelling and staying over at other's homes and not our own.  Rain, rain, rain.

Dining out was a hard thing for Peter

Our second year with Peter has seen some sunshine as we put therapies in place and got some down time at home.  We started out this year with a trip to the hospital because of a concussion.  What parent would plan these things for their newly adopted children?  2 steps forward, 2 steps backwards.  Peter was starting to really rely on us to care for him.  Our names were Daddy and Mama, he knew us and some sunshine was breaking through the clouds.  The temperature in our relationship with Peter was warming up and the clothes of inclement weather were getting put away.  He was settling in.  Partly cloudy!

Sunbeams breaking through

As we head out of our second year and into our third a little phrase keeps rolling around in my mind.  We were told this during one of the many educational classes that Bethany Christian Services sponsored during our wait for Eliot, our first adopted son.  

For as many months as they were in their country, that's how many months it will take for them to truly settle in.

Now, I am sure that some kids adjust more quickly than others but I just like knowing that guideline.  It makes me think about the May flowers that are coming our way.  My faith soars as I remember how God promises in His Word to work all things together for our good.  How rainy, windy, cold are the springtime tools the Father uses to wake up the slumbering trees and the dormant flower bulbs as the wind carries pollen to fertilize the new spring  plants.  As the temperature rises and the flowers pop up from their warm earthen beds, our hearts are gladdened to see their long awaited return.

So back to the question, what parent would plan these things for their newly adopted children?  God the Father!  All these events in Peter's first 2 years with us were purposeful.  What we wanted was smooth sailing and easy transitions, but God always knows best.  He planned out every detail of our lives together with Peter before the foundation of the world.  How awesome is that!  So as May approaches I will be looking for the flowers, because God is faithful.  In and out of whatever season God takes us on the journey of adoption with our boys, I know, I know, I know that His plans are perfect and the very best for them and that I can trust in Him to bring them through to fruition. 

So. . .

And where you see clouds upon the hills You soon will see crowds of daffodils So keep on looking for a blue bird And list'ning for his song Whenever April showers come along

Happy Spring!

Spring has Sprung!