Wow....

Wow..  What a "bigger picture" moment today!I was pooling over the update from our agency from last month.  Of course initially looking at the wait list and trying to figure out how many more referrals need to come in before we will be receiving ours. Thinking of that first picture and eagerly awaiting it.  Then I read further into the update, and it was saying how if your child is a birth parent relinquishment (vs. an abandonment) the agency suggests that you make a photo book for them.  We will get the opportunity to meet this family if there is known birth family...  which I am SO hoping and praying for that opportunity for so many reasons.  Not only to have that connection and be able to share that with my child, but also in hopes of giving that family some sense of peace, some sense of truly "knowing" not just trusting that the child they loved is going to a family that will love them and be a good family to them. So, the agency suggests making a photo book of the family, the house, the child's room... anything that can give them a glimpse into what their child's life will be like.  But then this is what really stopped me.... the agency also mentioned that in this photo book we should remember to include pictures of our baby (THEIR baby!), and any pictures we might have (referral pics, pics from other families etc.) because MOST of these families do not have ANY pictures of their child and will cherish them. Not even one! Ugh. how incredibly humbling and sad.  Me... the one who is being given the greatest blessing by them.  Me, who is so impatiently waiting for my FIRST picture, should remember to give THEM 'a" picture? How crazy is that? And its easy to maybe think of it from America perspective... oh maybe this family had the baby and a few days later they were placed in an orphanage an the opportunity was just not there.  That alone would be sad enough,  but that is usually NOT the case. Children are honored in the Ethiopian culture.  Most of the time the mothers keep their children as long as they possibly can.  In fact that is why most of the children come to the orphanage with at least some malnourishment.  They kept them as long as they possibly could and when the choice was life or death, they chose life for their child. And they have no picture... not because there was no opportunity, because there was no camera!  Ugh... how incredibly spoiled are we?  How INCREDIBLY spoiled? Its moments like this that I just feel like things like this need to be always kept in front of me so that I can attempt to step away from a selfish mindset and truly appreciate the things I have, AND recognize the things are are truly "needs"... and realize that many of the things that seem to be needs are usually "nice to haves" or "conveniences".  When I look if I can help out a brother or sister in Christ, am I looking at my "Excess" or am I looking at whether I am meeting my needs and all the rest is "up for grabs"? Next time we feel like we are lacking perhaps ask yourself "Do I have a picture of my son/daughter/husband/wife/loved one?" And realize how many people go without these simplest of treasures