Perspective

At Crater Lake National Park

     Jim and I recently watched the movie, Soul Surfer.  In the movie, the youth leader (played by Carrie Underwood) gives an object lesson about gaining perspective.  She shows them a series of close up pictures, such as a fly's eye, and has them guess what they are looking at.  The guesses are funny and creative, but no one is able to correctly guess "the big picture."   The lesson was that in life we also have a difficult time seeing "the big picture."  Sometimes we need to step back and gain a little perspective. 

     This made me think about my own life.  It's easy to focus on the small details-  Did we get any new "likes" on our facebook account?  How many hits were there on our website?  Did anyone leave comments on our blog?- instead of the big picture- We are getting the word out about our desire to adopt and we are one day closer to it happening.   We sometimes concentrate on the next step- We need to mail off our packet of letters to the IAC or we need to update our website- instead of enjoying the journey- all the miracles God has already provided along the way. 

     The picture above shows Jim and me at Crater Lake.  While we were hiking up the trail, we could have looked at our feet the whole time (making sure that each step was secure), but we would have missed out on some fabulous views!  That doesn't negate the need to watch where we were going.  The trails were sometimes steep with huge drop-offs.  It would have been disastrous to not pay attention.  So we found a good balance.  We hiked a few yards and then stopped to look at the view, hiked a little further and then looked at the scenery around us. 

     In life, we need to find balance as well.  The adoption journey is hard climbing, there are definitely pitfalls to avoid along the way.   The details are very important, but so is the big picture.   We don't want to just look at our feet and miss the view!  So today, I am stopping for a moment to enjoy the view and gain a little perspective.

     Dealing with infertility is physically and emotionally painful, but with God's help Jim and I have grown closer together by supporting each other through the process.

     Adoption is expensive, but God has provided for us financially.

     Our miscarriage two years ago this May was the single worst event I have had to face, but for 11 weeks I was able to celebrate being a mother and I now have a deep compassion for women who have gone through similar losses.

     Waiting for our baby is hard, especially when you don't know how long you will wait, but God has been faithful and provided us with supportive family and friends who encourage us daily with their prayers and kind words. 

     When this journey is over and we embark on our next journey of parenthood, we will have a beautiful landscape to look back on.  Thank you for your continued prayers and support and for being a part of our journey!