girlie smiles...

When we were making plans to live in the Philippines, the kids were most excited about settling into a school and church again for the mere benefits of making and having friends around them. We agreed that putting them in a school would expose them to the culture and by making friends they would be able to make this their home.

Things flowed well for Jared and Rachel, yet, from the beginning of school, Sarah has not fit in as well. All the newness and all the akwardness and all the laughing just cuts into her heart. It has been a struggle without saying. When she would have a good day, it's like 2 more bad days were just waiting to jump on her and pull her back again. We have prayed over her, prayed with her and I have cried a few tears of my own while wiping hers. Then we question: Was this the best choice of schooling for her? Is this going to make her stronger or will this break her? Will the girls ever accept her? Will this experience cause her to despise her life here? So many questions, many prayers for clarity....then, in the last month of school, I pull in to pick them up and this is what I see:

This picture does absolutely NO justice to expressing the joy of my sweet princess. My heart sings to see this picture...why? Because God is so good! Always and forever, He hears our heart's cry and shows up for us because He loves us. You should just hear her now making plans "Can she come to our house?"..."after this one comes, could this one come?"! And the best part is that they are asking her if they can come! She is making it...God is helping her to make it. I am confident that she is going to be just fine. She may have bad days, but she is getting a good amount of better days under her belt, so the bad days don't hurt as much. She is seeing God move in her behalf and that is priceless! It also does my heart good to know that through her smiles, God is answering our prayers and the questions of my heart. This is right...she is learning and growing stronger! Praise the Lord! Oh, He is so kind and gracious and loving!

Our cherished verses to remind her that she is precious to our Father:

"How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in mnumber than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee." Psalm 139:17-19

He is worthy of our praise!