Sooo.... Go and Have A Good Time.

"Sooo... go and have a good time", is pretty much what Victoria and I thought we heard the girls say when we told them this morning that they were staying behind and just Mom & Dad were going to China to bring Xiao Qian home. Of course, it wasn't in so many words, but I have to say that it was completely supernatural, so much so that Victoria said her jaw was figuratively laying on the floor after the conversation was over.

So here's how I laid it out, in so many words (without a whole lot of pre-planning because I've found that over thinking these types of things only makes it more awkward, although I was a bit nervous to be quite honest). I decided to take the perspective that the glass is half full rather than half empty. Believe me, this is quite counter to my natural inclination. I told the girls (Poppy was the one that we were most concerned about) that Mommy and I prayed real hard to God that He would arrange things just the right way so that everything would work out perfectly to bring Xiao Qian home. And furthermore, that He answered our prayers by allowing their big brother, Austin, and his wife, Meagan, to come home for two whole weeks while Mommy & Daddy could go to China and find Xiao Qian. This means that they get two whole weeks with them (Don't they look like a lot of fun?) and Brother (how they affectionately refer to Barret) all alone (lucky them). And..., they may even get to go travel to San Luis Obispo to see their older sister, Annie, and... they will get surprises and/or notes everyday from Mommy & Daddy while they're in China. Willow was her usual Chinese jumping-bean (Is there such a thing? If not, she's a first.), hard to contain and probably not giving much consideration to what I was saying, and Poppy was intently processing the whole thing with her eyes darting to and fro, but nevertheless with a slight grin on her face. I have to believe Poppy was thinking that this was a pretty good deal. I never said, "You're not going to China", rather I said, "You get to stay and be with the family, lucky dogs."

So, when you sift through all of that, I guess one could say that it's no big deal. But not Victoria and me. We say that this is a God-thing, and He's a big deal. (Thank you, Francis Chan - "Forgotten God", for helping me see the Spirit, Jesus and God in more of everything, rather than little in anything.) We know Poppy all too well. And we also say this is an answer to prayer, many prayers, perhaps from you. So to that we say, "Thank you, thank you, and thank you." In fact, we cannot thank you enough. This may have been one of our biggest reservations about leaving.

No doubt the next three-plus weeks will have their trials (for the girls in particular), so we'll all need to continue in prayer for them, but the highest first hurdle was cleared with room to spare. So now we can indeed go to China and have a good time, just like we think we heard the girls telling us..., just like we know we hear the Lord telling us.

Having a good time,