Milestones and Legacies

It slipped by without Zack or I really thinking about it. Yesterday was 3 months since we officially started our adoption process. On February 15, we began our homestudy and thus began the craziness that we are in the midst of now! When I think about it in terms of only 3 months (our “first trimester”), it really is amazing that we’ve come this far in such a short amount of time. I get caught up in wanting things to move fast, but in reality they ARE moving fast! At the same time, I hope we don’t have to post TOO many of these milestones along the way.

How Will You Be Remembered?
Most of you know that Zack got his bachelor’s degree from Liberty University, and that is also where I’m working on my MBA. Yesterday was a sad day for the Liberty family, as we lost our president and chancellor, Reverend Jerry Falwell.

We had the priledge of meeting Rev. Falwell last summer while visiting the Liberty campus. As we walked around the chancellor's office, we heard a familiar voice. Out walked a man whose physical stature commanded attention and respect, but whose demeanor and handshake exuded a gentleness and peace. We didn't say anything at first, so he stepped up and introduced himself. It was only a brief encounter as he was on his way to a lunch meeting, but it was definitely one of those milestone memories.

While he was definitely outspoken and controversial at times, Rev. Falwell exhibited passion and conviction in every aspect of his life. He was an example of the words written in Romans 1:16, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes” (NIV). He was not afraid to stand up for his beliefs, showing little concern for the media’s liberal reactions to what he felt to be God’s purpose for his life. He left a legacy for those that follow him, including a wife and 3 children, a 26,000+ student body at Liberty University, and his 24,000-member Thomas Road Baptist Church.

When a man of his stature passes away, it causes me to reflect on my own life. What am I doing to leave a legacy? Am I creating a legacy for my family that is based on faith and values, on God and His unfailing love, on salvation and the promise of eternal life? Or am I filling up our schedules with mundane, unmemorable, less-than-eternal events?

These are things that I ponder even more so now that we are on the brink of becoming parents. There will soon be a sweet young man with us that will be looking up to us to understand why he was created, what his purpose is, and how he should live. What a tremendous responsibility! We are thankful (and terrified!) that God is going to entrust one of His precious creations to our care, and I want to do everything I can to raise him in the way that brings glory to the Creator.

Please continue to pray for us as we travel further down this long and winding road of adoption. Specifically, please pray that our attitudes will be pleasing to God, and that we are seeking His will and not ours. And please keep our Ukrainian facilitators in your prayers as they await the time to submit our dossier.