For Haven, everything is so new. Having spent most of her life locked away in a room because people were afraid to even touch her due to her ‘mental condition’–the world can be a pretty intimidating place. We take things very slowly with her. We have to constantly remind ourselves that she sees things through different eyes to the average eight year old.
Thankfully, things are getting easier for her. She is slowly but surely learning that she is safe, and that the world around her is not too scary. We are so thankful for the progress she is making. This child, who was left in China by her first family because they could not handle her special needs, is blossoming. Seriously blossoming! She is taking risks–even if they are scary, she is trying.
Haven has absolutely no idea what it feels like to walk barefoot outside. Getting her to walk barefoot inside was quite a thing–outside is a whole new story. Can you imagine a child’s feet never feeling soil and sand? Today we had the most beautiful weather–the perfect opportunity to take her shoes off. Look at these precious little feet feeling the sand between her toes!
(My boys are total ‘Africans’–to them shoes are a complete waste of time and money. Even in winter. Haven has some excellent role models to teach her the art of going barefoot.)
Meeting the needs of a non-verbal child has been such a learning experience for us. Haven never lets us know of any need she has, not even by gesturing or pointing. We have to make sure that she drinks regularly and we even have to remind her to go potty. What a surprise yesterday–she came outside with a cup of water! She had actually gone to the fridge and poured it herself. Hallelujah! Another victory we rejoice in.
When the world is all so new, and everything is a learning experience. When you have no idea how to even hold a pencil, or paint with a paintbrush…
When you just cannot figure out whether to use your right or your left hand—just use both!
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My sweetest boy—
“Mom, you know know what?”
Me: “What honey?”
“Do you know that you have a gluteus maximum?”
Huh? Maximum?
Oh for goodness sakes, first I had a puffy butt, now a have a gluteus maximum!
What’s a mom to do?
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Thank you all for the e-mails I have received from those of you with prayer requests. Please know this–that I pray over every single one of them daily. Thank you for trusting me with your hearts and your lives. What an honor to be able to bring every request before our Father in heaven.
