Mom

Isaac asked me tonight, "Mom, how does Zhi Zhou know you are his mom?"
A bit taken back by the question I say, "Well, I guess that people he knew in China told him that we were his family." And then I added, "And he believed them."

I know, not very quick on my feet these days.

Then Isaac says, "Hmmm... so what if he wouldn't have known anyone to tell him that in China?"

I pause for quite some time and say, "Well, I guess because I've been the one to feed him, hold him, help him, love him, sleep next to him he just knows I'm his mom."

He again says... "Hmmm."

Then I ask him, "How do you know I'm your mom?"

Isaac answers, "Well, I've just always been with you, I wasn't adopted."

Now like I said I was not very quick to the draw in this particular moment. What I wish I would have been ready to say was something about our adoptions into God's family and how we learn to trust Him more and more by just living life with Him. And how being in a family is similar in that Zhi Zhou just learns little by little that he can trust us to care for him and love him and that makes him certain we are his family, that I am his mom.

Unlike our relationships with God though mine is flawed. I will let Zhi Zhou down many times but God will ALWAYS be there for us however we need Him to be. Even when it seems maybe to me that He is not, I can trust Him that He is because He sees all and knows all and is all.

Tomorrow I'll take the opportunity to say all that to my VERY observant 7 year old who I'm so glad has the opportunity to think about these things. And that he had the opportunity to meet Zhi Zhou in China.

I find it interesting that out of all the kids he is the one that still calls Micah by his Chinese name the most. It always brings back memories of our time in China. Isaac constantly running ahead of Zhi Zhou to hide and then jump out just as Zhi Zhou is looking for him. Then Zhi Zhou would scream and laugh his deep belly laugh that makes me smile.

The laugh that I realized tonght that I'm not sure I've heard in a few days. Hmmm... maybe it's there, maybe I'm taking it for granted, or maybe I've jumped the gun on routine and am not just enjoying our days together.

Please Lord give me ways and ideas to help our family graft together and Micah to see that I am his mom.