Expectations

This is the post I was writing the day of our referral:

"Pharaoh said to Joseph, 'Tell your brothers, "This is what you must do: Load your pack animals, and hurry back to the land of Canaan. Then get your father and all of your families, and return here to me. I will give you the very best land in Egypt, and you will eat from the best that the land produces." Genesis 45:17–18

encouragement for today

The story of Joseph encompasses such a range of human experience: dysfunctional families, unjust suffering, deception and sorrow and loss and bitterness and impossible situations. At the heart of the story is Joseph's faith in God, and this faith activated God's gracious hand, which supervised the whole chain of events. In the end, everything was restored and great blessing abounded: Joseph's family was reunited and provided for with great abundance, despite the famine all around them. Now, too, God is working his great plan, and as we trust in him he will heal, restore, and provide the best.
—Diane Eble, author of Abundant Gifts: A Daybook of Grace-Filled Devotions

This is my morning devotional...what timing. We have been doing the Wheat/Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Sugar Free diet for a little over a week now.  It's not nearly as hard as I had anticipated it to be.  I have actually enjoyed it because it has forced me to get more creative with meals. Having studied Hotel and Restaurant Management and earning my AAS degree, I get to really put my culinary skills to work and use what I know about food and nutrition.  And, all that money spent on tuition was not a waste! :)  We laugh and say I am using my BS degree in Communication writing this blog.  I'll take that - it beats the old corporate world I was working...however parenting is hands down, THE hardest job I have ever had...and by far, the MOST rewarding job I have EVER had!

I have done a lot of research, reading, more research, phone calls to get to where we are on the food front.  I will share that information so that it may be resourceful to others too.  I will also share recipes of things we try, or I make up - like last nights dinner of coconut chicken with red and blue potato salad and baby peas.  All simple, easy to do and a happy family.  The little guy ate everything without any troubles too. {We are blessed he is such a good eater!}

Discovering all these things with the little man hasn't been easy.  I'm just being honest.  We as parents have had to take a step back and do a re-evaluation.  We have had to stop and ask, "what were our expectations?" Here's what we thought:

We adopted an infant - he has ALWAYS been with us. He should be like every other child.  He should have all his needs met.  As he grows up when we go some place, he should be calm, walk right next to us, listen well, follow directions. He should enjoy all the things that toddlers do - water slides, bounce house, ball pits, etc...etc... He should be just as if we birthed him ourselves - after all, he's been loved by us from the moment the Lord placed the seed in our hearts to adopt.  We should look like every other, well adjusted family out there.  We should be like The Walton's.

But that's not the reality of things.  We have child who has special needs. A child who has endured trauma the first year of his life (enutero is a child's first year of life according to the experts) that effects his brain chemistry.  A child who needs healing...healing that is not a sprint, but a marathon.  We have accepted the facts that we have to do things differently.  We now know how to handle over stimulating events - when we go some place to play, some kids can stay for several hours - we stay for only one. We do things at weird times - when places are less crowded and we leave immediately if it becomes too much.  We avoid noisy places and take "ear plugs" if it's going to be REALLY loud. It's not what we expected - but it's what we do.  It's how we roll.

We have surrounded ourselves with friends who "get us".  But above all else, we have our faith in God to lead us, guide us, direct us, and parent through us.  When it came to the decision to change his diet, we were encouraged to change only one thing at a time and then we could have a clear picture of which foods were irritating.  We were seeking the Lord for direction and praying and asking him what should we do.  Change it all was the answer we were given.

God created us to be a family.  He designed our family before the foundation of the earth.  This is all a part of his plan.  We embrace the look of of our family - though it is not what we expected, we have adjusted our expectations to meet the needs of our children.  God has promised restoration and healing to his children.  We know he will give just that.  We trust in him alone.  We LOVE the way our family looks - we are unique...we love that.  When we go through 'change' it makes us grow.  Grow closer to the Lord, to each other and as individuals.  I love what the Lord is doing. I love this family God has created...and we can't wait to see what he has for us next.