This week was a full eight days, starting last Thursday, April 6th, when Mike reminded me that it was our 18th anniversary as a "couple". Considering I'm still only 34 years old, 18 years is a long time.
Friday I spent the afternoon with two of my dearest friends and prayer warriors who were part of my Growth group from the Rockwall campus at church. We started out as five couples several years ago, all deeply committed to praying for one another and just growing in Christ together. They were all part of our lives as we broke the news that we'd felt called to adopt, they were there when we met Julian's siblings and began to pursue their adoption, and they were there when it failed. One couple moved away, one couple had to back out due to family scheduling problems, and then there were just three of us couples left. Those two wives have been so special to me and have prayed me through countless days of trial and grief. Friday, the three of us ladies met together for lunch and coffee as we said goodbye to one of us that's moving away. Times like those are hard because it means change--it means that God is leading us to let go and begin to build those relationships with others. I will miss her, but I know that God has great friends in Georgia waiting for her.
Tuesday Mike and I then celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary together. We got each other cards, and Mike even brought me a display of roses at work that he had arranged himself. One of my students just thought that was "soooooo romantic." :) Later that evening, we went for a long walk to the mall together, enjoying each other's undistracted attention and enjoying the absolutely beautiful weather. Later in the week, we went out to dinner together.
The irony over this week's celebrations, though, is that we just celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary as a couple and our 18th anniversary since we started dating, yet our Colombian son will be turning 19 years old tomorrow. A year before we had even started dating (when I was still 15 years old), a little boy was born (an entire continent away, to a mother who would not be able to raise him to maturity) who would one day call us his parents, his family. Just another reminder that there are some things God has planned for us that we just couldn't even have imagined in our wildest dreams.
About Me
- Rachelle D Alspaugh
- I've been married to my husband, Michael, for almost 25 years. I'm a mom to a biological son and an adopted son from Colombia, and I'm also a spiritual mom to my adopted son's older brother, who I claim as a son in my heart. I'm bilingual and love to work with and relate to Spanish-speaking children and families. I've been a teacher to students from all sorts of backgrounds and cultures for the last 20+ years. I'm also an author and a certified Biblical counselor. I'm in a new empty nest season in a new location far from where I raised my boys, so I'm definitely in a stage of rediscovering myself, my interests, and my purpose.
Surviving the Valley Series
Click on the card to order or read the reviews
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
What a sweet week (8 days) it sounds like you've had! Happy belated anniversary! It does make you think about God's mighty plan, way back when you two were just young teens!
ReplyDeleteBlessing to you!!
Ann