precious are the hands {loving the Love}

when clint and i moved to china as a young married couple, we had the honor of meeting some of the  most influential Chinese pastors in southern China who were growing the underground church in unbelievable ways. it was an unforgettable experience, just to be in the same room as these men and women. we worked as english teachers and brought our students to underground churches led by these pastors. being in the presence of these amazing teachers of God's Love, i remember praying deeply for my future children. praying they would catch the magnetic Love in God's Word. i wanted my children to be a part of God's plan...no matter what it was.

seeing this lovely girl, pouring over the pages of such a precious book...it makes me marvel the incredibleness of God's plan. my sweet china girl...in love with the book that tells of her Creator's passion...a passion that went to great lengths to make a way for her. to form her sweet lips in a most beautiful way in her birth mother's womb. to care for her when no one else did.
it's hard to even comprehend the way He orchestrates every part of our lives with such passion...even when we don't understand or recognise His doing.

hearing Foster explain to his younger brother that we should treat each other the way we want to be treated "because it pleases God when we obey the Bible"...it makes me stop and ponder the way God's Word penetrates little souls in amazing ways.

this morning, i overheard Foster reciting the book "I Love you Like Crazy Cakes" to emery, from memory.
"you see, sissie, you were in a big room with lots of other babies. you wanted your mama, so the nannies took care of you while you waited. mommy sat at a desk, praying for you and doing the paperwork, and then she got on the airplane and flew through the clouds and came to get you! she hugged you and hugged you! she loved you like crazy cakes!
when you came home, we were so happy! you're our sister! that's how you came to our family...it's your story! oh i just love you so much i just can't stop hugging you! we're so glad we adopted you!! you are the prettiest and cutest sister i've ever seen! how did you get so cute? hu? how did we get such a cute sister?? who made you sister?? God did! that's who!! He knew just how to make you!"
and on and on...
if i wrote down everything, i would just sit around and cry over the sweetness.

seeing Rowan gently kiss his sisters hands, follow her carefully up the stairs to make sure she doesn't fall, and sweetly talk to her when she cries...his love for her is beautiful. a love that doesn't always come easily when your sister pulls your hair and screams when you try desperately to keep your toys from being swiped. their friendship is still emerging. it's a long & exhausting process each day to teach them how to communicate. but their love? it runs deep below the brother/sister sharing issues. so deep that it surprises me in the way they care for each other.
when rowan gets hurt or cries, sister brings him his favorite lovie. she scours the downstairs in search for it, because she knows what he needs. his needs are important to her.
their love runs deep.

i'm spending today seeing the Love. the great and powerful Love.