That Lady

Things have been so strangely normal this week so far. It truly has been amazing! It seems like Aleyah has been here since birth! And to think that it will keep getting better and better. I have also been getting plenty of rest which helps a ton. I make sure to get up around 7:00 a.m., have my coffee while reading my Bible or Too Small to Ignore. At around 8:00 a.m., I hear Aleyah making her way downstairs. Most mornings she finds me on the couch reading and quickly climbs up on my lap for a morning snuggle. She still waits for the ever cheerful "Good Morning!" greeting before asking for orange juice. I know, orange juice is not the best choice but she still isn't sold on milk yet. I think I might have to try putting a little chocolate in her milk to get her to drink it. I must say that my mornings have been going pretty well.

Yesterday was the first day that I ventured out to do grocery shopping with Aleyah. While Steve was off work he did most of the shopping. Very cool for me that Steve enjoys grocery shopping. I think it is because he gets to choose all the junk food he craves.;) Well Steve has taken Aleyah to the store several times and she has done well. So yesterday was my turn. We left really early. It was around 9:00. I put her in the cart with no issues. So far so good. We made our way over to the Health and Beauty department to get a few items. We found the bubble bath aisle (She had her first bubble bath two days prior. We promised the next time we went to the store we would get her her own bubbles). She was one happy little girl when I let her choose the one she wanted. She went with Tinker Bell. With the Tinker Bell bubble bath in her hands we continued with bodywash, shampoo and lotion, all of which I had to let her smell for approval. Funny how that works. You let them smell one item and all the sudden they have to smell each item thereafter. Lol! I have absolutely no complaints about shopping with her. I can't wait to do it next week!

Last night Alexa had her first sleepover since Aleyah has been home. Surprisingly, it went great! Aleyah, of course wanted to hang out with the big girls so I had to keep her extra busy playing with mommy. Alexa is doing well with the big sister role. There are those times when she loses her patience and begins giving me pointers on discipline. I know, funny, huh? I quickly remind her that she is not the parent and if she wants we can start by putting her to bed early too. She doesn't like that too much. I usually get a heavy sigh and maybe crossed arms. Oh joy!

On a deeper note:

The other night I was putting Aleyah to bed. Since she has been here I pat her back until she falls asleep. I usually take this time to share with the Lord what's on my mind. Well I was thinking about how unbelievable it is to realize that God gave Aleyah another mommy and it's me! That reality is overwhelming and catches me off guard sometimes. This little girl lost her mommy to Malaria: The one lady who comforted her, fed her and cared for her. There is no doubt that she had a bond with her birth mother. We don't know exactly how long ago her mother died. Aleyah was first taken to an orphanage in January 2010. We believe that her mother died about a year ago. She lived several months without a mother's patience and love. I often wonder how she was cared for after her mother's death. Was she left alone while her birth father went off to find work for the day? How many times did she cry for a mommy's love? How many times did she sit in her little makeshift home wondering where "that lady" went?

While she cried and lived in confusion God had me in mind. He picked me to be "that lady". It is huge and so hard for me to "accept". Does that make any sense? Why me? Does God really have that much confidence in me? Does He really trust me with his precious and fragile little girl? I sat there patting Aleyah's back thinking about all these things and I just sat there weeping.

I sometimes think of Aleyah in her little village after her mother died looking for another mommy. Like Dr. Suess' book Are You My Mommy?, walking from hut to hut, wondering who will be her mommy now. Sadly, no one stepped up. It was not meant to be. God had an amazing plan and idea for our little Aleyah. He plucked her out from that little village and placed her in our hearts. She wanted a mommy badly. I know this because the first day we met, she didn't want me out of her sight. She held onto me and followed me everywhere. When the other children played, she sat on my lap, taking my arms and wrapping them around her. Her objective was to find "that lady". Little did she know that across the mighty Atlantic ocean lived "that lady". God made a way and brought us together. Not only did she get another mommy, but another daddy and a big sister as well. This adoption was not about providing clothes, food, shelter or even medical attention. It truly was about providing a family. All the other things came with the "territory" so to speak.

That is what I often think when I pat little Aleyah's back. She is here lying in her cozy bed in her cozy room with "that lady", the one who already loves her. Only God. Only God can turn a little poor girls life into a life blessed with riches beyond material things. Only God could place a total stranger into my heart. Only God could see what is best for her and for us. Why does God love that much? There are many more children out there looking for "that lady". This is what I would say to them, 'God is working on it". He has it all figured out. When the time is right God will save another one from the harshness of poverty and abandonment. God is just waiting for those who are willing to be used by Him.