Transformation

This week we have had Bible School at our church. I must say, I was "that parent" on the first night.
I still have mono, yes, I know, it's been 4 weeks....but I am feeling 100% better than I was. My only symptoms are what I thought mono was all along- extreme fatigue. I feel like myself, UNTIL I start moving around too much. Then I break out in a sweat, get dizzy, and MUST find a seat. Anyway, I was so determined to go to Bible School with Charlie. I couldn't stand the thought of missing any more of his firsts. So, I went. I sat. I sat nervously and anxiously during opening ceremonies-Will he tell anyone if he has to use the bathroom? Is he going to cry since he doesn't know his teacher? Is he going to escape from the room? Is he going to push the other kids around? What if no one understands what he is trying to say?
It was slightly chaotic, as any event with 90 children should be. Shuffling, shifting, finding name tags, registration forms. I sat with him while the youth praise band did their thing (wonderfully, I might add....) and then I walked Charlie to his class. He says "Bye Mama!" I think I must be hearing him wrong and go into his class with him. I sit for 5-10 minutes. He is sitting on the carpet with the rest of the kids, listening to the teacher read the story. Then it's time to rotate to the craft room. Once again, he says "Bye Mama". Que tears.  From Mama.

For the next three nights, I drag my hiney to Bible School (with the help of my live in nanny, house keeper, cook, and chauffeur for the last three weeks, my mother-in-law, Donna, God Bless her....) and it's the same thing. I sit with Charlie for the opening and closing concerts, but he is so excited to go to school every night, he can hardly stand the excitement. He grins from ear to ear about "Bible ool" He starts talking about "Jesus" non-stop and he insists we fold our hands to pray at meal time instead of holding hands. Then he starts creating costumes and brings out his books about Jesus. He wants to take his Bible to the grocery store with Baba. He knows after dinner we get dressed for Bible School, so he keeps saying he's done with dinner.

Easter Celebration, April 

I say all that to say this. Two months ago, we had an Easter Celebration at the church. Same chaos, same crowded rooms, people moving here and there. Same loud, rockin' praise band. This was Charlie then. Quiet, timid, unsure of himself.
And this is him now. Singing, dancing, engaged in his surroundings.

Bible School, June

At some point, I got a little weepy at the transformation he has made in just a few months. While I was thanking our children's director, Ms. Jana, for all the hard work she had done (without me helping her at all because I had been so sick....) It lead to this thought. Just think about if adoption didn't exist. Charlie would have never had this opportunity. He would have never learned about the love of Christ. He wouldn't be singing or dancing. He wouldn't have the joy that he has in his heart. He wouldn't know the love of a Savior.
If that isn't motivation for every Christian to adopt or help someone else to adopt, I don't know what is.