Just in case anyone asks

Years have a way of flying by...

Yesterday, I stood on the sidelines of a football field and watched my two sons perform in an award-winning marching band program.

As I looked at their handsome faces, I saw disciplined concentration, focusing solely on their performance.
As I watched the band move across the field, I saw my sons balance on tip-toe, perform ballet moves, twist and turn, march backwards, and reverse directions in split-seconds.
For the duration of their presentation, I watched them hold instruments steady in an upright, level position for 10 long minutes as they entered the field, performed, and exited.
And the whole time, I thought to myself... wasn't it yesterday they were babies?

I suppose you could say, I saw the same things every parent saw: Children who are growing up, working towards a cause, performing as a team.

But for me, each and every single performance, each practice, each bus ride, each time my children are included in an activity, I also see God's miracles at work.

I stand there and watch my sons, and in the back of my mind, I see -- can't help but see -- two young boys who had so much against them. I see the young 3 year old, running through the apartment, babbling in some mix of Romanian and English, smiling at me as he emptied the Pampers box and laid his diapers out in designs on the carpet. I see the 3 year old who couldn't distinguish right from left, who had limited upper body strength (because he never crawled), and who had only known hunger and survival, and who was kicked out of preschool because of his energy level. And then I see him surrounded by peers who support him, who have helped him bring out his best efforts. And I see him marching proudly with that heavy barritone, blowing for all he's worth. And I see God.

I look at my tall, freshman son, playing his clarinet, marching on tip-toe, leaning forward and back. I watch his fingers fly across those keys as he works through a trilly passage. I am so proud, and thankful, because I also see a 17 month old baby who could not stand the feel of water on his skin, who screamed like a banshee when I tried to bathe him.(He had never had a bath). I see a boy who could not walk or run without falling. I see a child who did not speak. And I think of an Occupational Therapist who gently said, "You know he's autistic, too?"

These images flash in front of me as I wait for the performance to start. And then I push those memories to the side, and I watch my sons on the field... and I see miracles, and I am greatly humbled.


It is not for us to know God's purpose or His plan. I struggled with infertility for countless years. And God plucked two boys out of orphanages on the other side of the globe and matched them with this crazy old woman. Why? I can not say. But if we are able to glorify God and be a testimony to His glory and good works, than that is more than enough for me.

The next time someone asks you, "Have you seen God at work in your life today?" please share your miracles! If I am asked, I will gaze with love at two teenage boys, and tell you, "I see Him at work every single day."