Bye Bye 2013

I sat last night and reflected as we had a very quiet evening. I could easily say that 2013 was a really hard year. Between Michael’s leg, his mom being sick, my issues needing address through surgery, our adoption not being completed, relationships disappearing, the fight for others being intense and hard, I could sum it up with one word HARD, but was it ? When you sit and look back, could you say it was hard.  

2013 brought:

·      Seeing God’s provision in our adoption. (for those who say it is to expensive, take it from me, God will provide). We are within a miniscule amount of it being fully funded. That is right FULLY FUNDED! In a 12 month time span. While we paid for some things before last December, we really started last December. ONE YEAR is what HE did it in.

·      Friends came up behind us for all the craziness, including garage sales, fixing things while Michael was laid up, helping us with car repairs, praying with us through thick and thin. Basically doing life with the crazy Bowden house.

·      God repairing some things in my heart beyond anything I could have ever imagined, taking the hurts of the past and making them an after thought. Giving me tools to deal with the current hurts and the hurts to come. Giving me a deeper appreciation for what unconditional love looks like through HIS eyes and putting people and situations in my path where I could show that.

·      Continuing to strengthen my marriage as we press through one of the hardest relationship journeys of my life. Marriage is hard work, and those who go into it with different expectations are sadly mistaken.

·      Watching the healing of people, children, my own family that I have had the privilege of praying for.

·      Opportunities to serve others.

·      Lessons on what ENOUGH really is. Giving us a new perspective and new is not always better. Being content (Although still working on this with what is present and in front)

·      Our Daughter- Lord willing she will be home in early 2014. Her face lights up our life. As the New Year was coming in, we sat and watched her video, thinking this is the year we have waited for.

·      Our Daughter- She is not ours. She is on loan for whatever time God sees fit as a gift to nurture and raise. To equip her with the tools she needs to walk.  

·      A love for the work I get to do beyond imagination. I am at the back seat of watching God change lives through living overseas.

·      Giving me a perspective on taking care of myself that I would have never expected. Self-care, but also really considering what it is that I put into my body and what the ramifications are.

·      Having to deal with the issue of infertility and bring it to the forefront. Learning that it is not the end of the world. HE knew it when HE knit me together. And I am not damaged goods as others would have me try and believe.

·      We continue to maintain our debt free status. Along with watching HIM provide for the adoption, we have watched as we have had the money to pay for all medical bills in cash, keep a roof over our heads, eat, drive two cars, gas for the cars and so on. We strive to honor with our finances and are richly rewarded in the process.

·      Learning to wait on God with expectancy just as the word promises.

    And this is just a small list. So I was expectantly on this first day of 2014. Expectant that there will be times of great joy, sadness, lessons learn, opportunities to love, opportunities to speak truth in love and most of all opportunities to grow.

Much love,

Jennifer