Chapter 10: This little light of mine

A few weeks ago I told you how our pastor and his family is doing their own starfish thing.  Our church has grown quite a bit over the past few years and I don't always get to speak to everyone I know each week, and I hadn't yet had a chance to talk to her about Charlie.  One Sunday in late September, his wife came excitedly up to me after service.

"What is going on in your church?!" her caseworker had asked her the previous week.  "You guys are taking care of your little guy, the Weasleys are taking care of George, and the Wigginseseses are taking care of Charlie!"

Isn't that the coolest thing?  We are just doing what we were called to do, taking care of the "orphans" among us, but it is making God's glory known to the world.  Not the whole wide world, of course - at least not yet - but our little corner of the world.  People are seeing the connection - that people in our (very imperfect, mind you) church body love the Lord and want to put that love into action.  That's what it's all about, this light shining among men thing.

It blows me away.

Almost daily I'm blown away.

On a current-events note, it's been a wild few days here.  Our dear friends the Weasleys officially adopted George on Friday.  Ro and I got to go to the court with them and a number of other friends.  It was so moving and beautiful, and I am jealous - for when we can officially and legally make Charlie a Wiggins.

Today we met with Charlie's caseworker, his attorney (GAL), his Court-Appointed Special Advocate, his therapist, Mrs. Weasley, and two representatives from Specialized Alternatives for Family and Youth, over the course of two meetings.  That's a lot of people, and a number who were invited did not attend.  It was good, though - I feel we were all able to get on the same page with things.  And I cleaned my house 2 days *before* Thanksgiving.

Charlie has been with us for 2 1/2 weeks now.  Overall it has gone very smoothly.  We have had a handful of bumps and challenges, but overall - doing well.  We have begun re-introducing him to his brother George at church with brief meetings the past two weeks.  We are going very slow in this department as their last meeting many months ago yielded unfavorable behaviors on both boys' parts following their time together.

I think that is our greatest need - that the boys will be able to have a relationship that doesn't result in undesirable behaviors but is healthy and satisfying for them.  We also appreciate your prayers as we learn to find balance and priority as we've added not only a little boy to our home, but his team of half a dozen people who also want to see him regularly.

This afternoon I sit here, thinking about Thanksgiving, and feel overwhelmed by God's blessings.  To have all my children with me - four now... to have my Dad and Denise come (I haven't had a holiday with them in years)... to celebrate Charlie's upcoming birthday... to have been blessed with incredible support throughout this process... to have a heavenly Father who awes me by being intimately involved in our lives...  yep, blown away.

Happy Thanksgiving.