Siblinghood: Chapter One: The Adventure Years

                                                        Siblinghood
          Never the subject of conversation among friends, the topic of books, neither of church or youth group teachings, nor of school lectures. Our generation is rarely aware of the family relationships between siblings that shape and mold our early years, our earliest memories, our earliest adventures, our first fights, our first “inside jokes”, our earliest battle wounds, our fiercest protectors, and our deepest bonds of love outside that of the parental nature. Among our generation there are those that do not possess the sacred bonds of siblinghood, or their bonds are battered and broken against the winds of life, and my heart truly mourns for their loss. I do not know what I would do as an only child, or if I was unable to trust and love my siblings. As the eldest sister of what are now 7 children, my siblings are my most sacred friendships I have. My siblings hold my deepest secrets; they have seen me in every stage of life (including the awkward middle school days) and have sharpened me as Proverbs says “iron sharpens iron”. 

          My family has taken up the call of God in adopting two lovely little twins- a boy and girl from Ethiopia. We have yet to bring them home although they are legally ours. Two new siblings bring great joy to my heart. Yes, they will have different childhoods then us as their closest sibling in age is now 15, yet so many things will be the same for them. They will have the same loving and godly parents, (who now have all the parental wisdom in the world after raising 5 PERFECT children) and two elder sisters- one a mother hen and the other mama bear- and of course three wonderfully protective and hilarious brothers, all of whom will serve and protect them at all costs. As older siblings we will introduce them to being a HURT. The late nights chats in the kitchen, dad’s “goofy” laugh, mom’s goodbye statement of “make wise choices and good decisions”, the sibling tradition of joining together and hunting for our Christmas presents while our parents are out, (after SOMEONE told, my parents got smart and started storing gifts at relative’s homes, but they still have some at the house, one just has to be smart and diligent in searching) making Doris laugh and dance, the Donut Man, the over the top birthday parties that our friends still remember and talk about, the days and years at the ball fields or in the gyms for volleyball, the adventures of acquiring a Christmas tree, and more than all of those things, my new siblings will be introduced to the Lord through our family. They are the fulfillment of prayer, of a promise given by the Lord, and they will live in a family that has seen the power and goodness of God. They will have no doubt who their God is for their family is living out a daily testimony of His being. I am SO excited to read the Bible to them for the first time, to act out David and Goliath, or to share in their first Christmas and tell them that just like Jesus, God had a plan for their lives and they were not destroyed like so many other orphans are. 

Siblings are God-given, sacred, and chosen. Adoption is not simply parents gaining children, but siblings receiving new life-long friends, new confidants, new secret keepers, and new partners in crime. I am thrilled, blessed, and overjoyed in knowing that I am gaining two siblings to serve, to protect, to train in the art of parenting parents, to teach, to have adventures with, to laugh and cry with, to pray for and to seek the Lord with. Oh how He is GOOD! For now, we trust in God, knowing that He is true and He cannot lie. His promises ALWAYS prove true, and because of that we pray that our two lovely siblings come home miraculously soon. 

The Middle of the Story

Only a short few weeks left before I once again pack up my belongings, board a plane, and move to another place. School has begun and I feel oddly out of place. A waiting, an apathy has entered my soul, and I am ready for the next season to begin.When I was accepted to Ellerslie Leadership Training, I did not know that the coming weeks would bring the most difficult days before I even arrived at the base.
These transitions, these in-between moments are always the most difficult. Like a good book,life is like the middle of the story; usually boring but full of growth, pain, mystery, and questions. Always the most important, the middle of a story builds for the ending, the characters change and grow, and the circumstances become more dangerous.
Reminds me of the life of Jesus.  The most important days of his life were not the ones spent in ministry, but the days spent in preparation for his ministry. I can only imagine how many days during His twenties were spent in prayer, fasting, and training? Training for last few chapters, for the epic ending. Training to die.

The Time In Between by Francesca Battistelli

You were there when your Father said
Let there be light
You obeyed when He whispered
Son, You have to leave tonight
To spend nine months in a mothers womb
Three days in a borrowed tomb

 But it’s the time in between
That brings me to my knees
Knowing you came for me
And all that I can't be
I'm amazed, so amazed
And I thank You for the time in between
Don't take much for this crazy world
To rob me of my peace
And the enemy of my soul
Says You’re holding out on me
So I stand here lifting empty hands
For you to fill me up again

But it’s the time in between
That I fall down to my knees
Waiting on what You'll bring
And the things that I can't see
I know my song’s incomplete
Still I'll sing in the time in between
So many ways
Your love has saved the day
And I'm grateful for them all

 But it’s the time in between
The middle of two thieves
That says everything
It’s the reason I believe
I'm amazed, so amazed
And I thank you for the time in between
Oh Lord, I thank you for the time in between

Seasons

http://bergml.zenfolio.com/p235461510/h30f92f10#h30f92f10
Check out my friend Margie's photography skills.


I wrote this two years ago, and I find this still relevant and dear to my heart.

The change of seasons...hmm. I've learned that seasons can last a lifetime; they can begin with a change of jobs, getting on an airplane for a distant land, meeting someone new and they can end in a heartbeat with a word wrongly spoken, a death of a loved one, leaving a place you've come to call home, a change of schools. Some seasons are welcomed- like the gorgeous days of a Wisconsin summer- graduating from high school and moving onto university, going on a first date, or the birth of a child but so many seasons are ushered in with deep sadness or uncertainty; the death of someone dearly loved, the ending to a sport season, saying goodbye to the best friends you've ever had and not knowing if you'll ever see them again,  a breakup or an unresolved conflict that leave us bitter or angry, confused and lonely. But as with every season, you know that they will change one day- it's the only thing you can truly count on with seasons, a beginning and the ending.

In the midst of one of the most difficult and heart-wrenching seasons of my life thus far, I've been quietly, faithfully and wondrously reminded that no matter the season I am "Secure in the Everlasting Arms."
In the hands of the true God, my standing as His child never changes- His wild, crazy, love for me never lessens, and His purpose for the everyday events of my life are forever planned for my good. Oh, to rest in that knowledge "when my striving cease" and be able to take my perfectionism, look at everything from every possible angle, plan for anything attitude, and just be at peace with knowing that to trust God takes every ounce of faith I have, but truly does not require any risk because I am safe in His arms. 

Change is in the Air

Change is the air.
Seasons are changing.The mornings are now dark, the air is cool and crisp, and Starbucks will be carrying Pumpkin Spice soon. Almost time to pull out the scarves, boots, and cardigans. My favorite time of the year is only weeks away, and with autumn's arrival a new season of my life begins.

"My lover said to me,“Rise up, my darling!Come away with me, my fair one!" SoS 2:10 NLT

God has been so faithful in throughout the seasons of my life and I am overjoyed knowing that the coming season will consist of His faithfulness and love. In a season of romance, I have the privilege of spending 10 weeks in beautiful Colorado with the only purpose of spending time with Jesus. Expectant to say the least.

The Great Risk of Great Lovers

In Elisabeth Elliot's book "The Pathway of Loneliness", she writes about how the "great risk of great lovers" is the vulnerability, the trust, and the ability to hurt. I have been contemplating these three concepts over the course of the past week as the heartache of loneliness and distrust has crept into my soul. 

The word vulnerable means to be: open to attack or susceptible to being wounded or hurt; difficult to defend.

The word trust means to be: reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety of a person or thing; confidence, hope, credit, on whom one relies. 

The word hurt means: to suffer, to feel pain, to cause injury.  

How often have I heard friends, family, authors, speakers, and  even my own soul whisper the question "doesn't God want me to be happy?" But no where in the Word, does God speak of promising me happiness. Instead He asks me to expect trials, persecution, and temptation. The question God has lodged deep within my soul is, "Will you trust Me?" even in the midst of pain, of hurt, or of loneliness. How often do I feel like the children of Israel when they wandered the desert, distrusting the heart of God, and longing for days of comfort. To trust God is to be vulnerable; to be open to hurt or pain. Will I ever be able to trust Him the way I long to?

"Behold, God is my salvation;I will trust, and will not be afraid;for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song,and he has become my salvation." Isaiah 12:2 (ESV)