Behind The Bur

Our Clover is growing up so fast, and is totally Korey's girl. She is perfectly sweet to me and listens well, but she and Korey just have a special bond.

She wants to be just like him.

Originally this post was going to be about going to the GA/SC fair a few weeks ago. We had a great time hanging out with sweet friends, but honestly, I don't feel very much like writing about it. I just finished taking a major practical and exam and am feeling a little foggy and more than a little exhausted. My mom and sister came to visit me friday night and left on saturday around lunch. It was all too short of a trip and I really enjoyed spending time with them both. We spent a lot of time just talking about life and how we're going to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas. Those are most definitely my favorite holidays ever year. It's just left me feeling a little homesick. I miss the people and the familiarity and how comfortable I feel in my own skin. As long as I have been in dental school, it just never feels like home.

I've got a lot on my mind lately, mostly about the holidays. I keep getting reminders in the mail from Compassion about sending our adopted child money for them to buy Christmas for her. Money is tight this year so we decided that buying her Christmas would be our gift to each other this year. Don't think too highly of us. Our gift isn't very much, but it makes me feel good knowing that somewhere on the other side of the world a little girl will know that we love her and think about her and care that she has a Christmas.

The other day Korey was driving through Atlanta when he saw a young teenage boy riding his bicycle and holding onto a McDonalds bag. The boy was trying hard to pedal faster and ended up wobbling and dropping his food. Korey said that when he saw the boys face, he just looked devastated. So Korey turned the car around to give him a few dollars. When he got back to the boy, he was by the side of the road eating the food off of the ground. Korey gave the boy some money to buy more food, but it bothered him and it bothered me to hear it. This was a boy who was a teenager, the age where all you care about is being like everyone else and not being seen as uncool or poor or out of the ordinary, and this boy was eating food out of the dirt, where anyone could drive by and see him. That boy was truly hungry. Korey said to me, "We don't have a lot of money, but we are not poor enough to eat food off the ground. I just kept thinking of that Bible verse that says if you see your brother in need and are able to help him but don't, then the love of God is not in you." (paraphrase of 1st John 3:17) I am so proud of Korey for going back, for seeing someone in need and trying to meet that need, for having a loving heart, but my heart is still broken. I wonder about that boy. Will he be hungry tonight? Will someone else help him? Does someone love him and will they tell him that he is special and capable? Does he have a place to stay? I just keep reminding myself that God loves that boy and He will take care of him. The only problem with that attitude is that sometimes He doesn't. Manna doesn't always fall from Heaven. Trees don't always grow up to give us shade. So my heart is burdened. I'm not quite sure what God is doing with me, but I find myself coming back to the same thought. It's almost Christmas, and although I love tradition and presents and things, I find myself wondering what I will do for Christ for Christmas. It's His birthday and all I can think of is myself.

I need a new tradition.

Well, now that you're all as thoroughly burdened as I am, I guess I will show some pictures of the fair to lighten up the mood.