conformed

This a day like any other in that we're getting up, eating breakfast, preparing for work and school and some scattered afternoon appointments.

This is also a day like no other because by tonight we'll all see Maxim's new feet. The fruit of almost a year of castings, and surgery. Great anticipation.

This morning I'm thinking of the scripture that says how beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "Your God Reigns!".

I'm thinking about the scriptures that call us to be conformed; transformed from head to toe, inside and out, by the One Whose love is perfect and Who is Almighty.

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is; His good and pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:2

"And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the LORD's glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the LORD, who is the Spirit." II Corinthians 3:18

However God chooses to manifest healing in our lives, we get to be tools in His hand to proclaim the goods news, the peace, the One Who is salvation.

I think it's going to be really neat to see how Maxim's life continues to unfold. He will have such a testimony of God's generous mercy. We all will. May he stand on those two feet, always ready to give an answer for the hope that is in him, and ready to tell Who his help came from.

I will post pictures as soon as I can. We have no operating digital camera at the moment.

Walls and the Conquerer of Them All

Today is a milestone in many ways.

It is an anniversary of many things. Two stand out in my mind. One year ago today, Daniel and I had our first several hour visit with the little boy who would become our son. Our Maxim was just a little guy we'd met face to face for the first time only two days prior and we were off on the road to getting acquainted with him. It never occurred to us that anything would keep us from bringing him home. It never occurred to us how long it would take to accomplish the task. It was simply a matter of being set on a particular road by the Almighty and just walking it out with naive confidence. Weeks later, our faith would be tested and become a little wobbly because we were learning that the road God puts us on is not always comfortable. It's not always the neat little package of predictability we assumed we would receive. But one year ago today, we were just marvelling at Heavenly goodness and this charming little boy God connected us to. Who knew the bureaucratic walls of red tape we'd need to scale.

Today is also the anniversary of the crumbling of the Berlin Wall, that monstrous monument of the Cold War which divided and depleted and degraded countless families for years under the shadow of the Soviet Union. Twenty years ago, that wall came down.

In the summer of 1986, Daniel and I had just met as we traveled throughout Europe, and we found ourselves on an organized tour of the Bundestag, West Germany's parliament. Someone in our group asked the official leading the tour if he envisioned that the Iron Curtain would ever fall. He stated that he couldn't imagine such a thing happening in his lifetime.

Three years later, the wall came down.

Ten years after that, we brought our new son home from a former Soviet country.

Isn't it amazing how God brings down walls! He is powerful powerful powerful. He is merciful merciful merciful. Nothing nothing nothing is impossible for Him. He is the absolute Almighty. I know I have sung countless hymns and praise songs proclaiming this truth over the years but, honestly, I have not really taken it all the way to my core.

What's the "wall" in your life you haven't thought He can conquer? What's the thing you still believe is too big?

Yes, there will be unanswered questions. That's part of the faith road. We don't get to see the whole vision of what God is doing; every little detail. It would be too much for us to comprehend even if we could see it. Sometimes, because we don't have the entire scenario, from beginning to end, laid out in front of us, we begin to make assumptions and we well up with fear.

At the end of September, Maxim had to be recasted because the cast he had after having his club feet straightened just didn't fit quite right. He had had countless casts taken off and replaced over the last year, as I've mentioned before, but this time he was full of fear. Overwhelmed and terrified. I realized, after he was able to calm slightly and express himself, he had been thinking that when the casts came off he would have no feet. He thought they were gone. He had been running on faith for weeks, thinking his feet were going to be gone but Daniel and I seemed pretty cool and collected so it must be okay. But when it came to the moment where he might see for himself, he couldn't take it. Isn't it amazing that he would think such a thing?! Even more amazing that he was not visibly bothered by it at all until the day of the recasting. What a burden to be carrying all by himself! He didn't know the big picture; he assumed he did and he was overcome.

In our relationship with God, even though He is not going to give us the complete, down to every speck, blue print of what He is doing, we know from scripture that He is love and that what He as planned is better than anything we could ever imagine. Challenging, yes. Uncomfortable sometimes, definitely. Worth it? More than we can possibly know.

Maxim didn't know how to fully express what was on his mind as we approached the recasting in September. He didn't know how to ask for comfort, or if he should, for some reason. With God, we have the blessing of being able to ask Him for wisdom, peace, healing, patience, and all those things that make our journey bearable. Knowing we can commune with Him and He will incline (the image in scripture is like a daddy bending down to listen to his child) His ear to us, brings tremendous comfort along the way. We never have to carry the burden of uncertainty alone

Today, the last of Maxim's full length casts were removed. He was sedated so he didn't have to watch the process. When he woke up in the recovery room, he reached down with his hands to touch his legs. He has peered down many times to look at his toes and say "hello" again. His knees, which have been cooped up in casts for the majority of this year, are tender and will take time to regain strength and flexibility.

One wall of fear has collapsed on Maxim's road to recovery. Something deemed impossible by those around him at this time last year is now just around the corner; walking.

Nothing is impossible for the Heavenly Father.

Today, as we were driving home from the hospital, Maxim suddenly said, "Hey, God help Maxim today!" I replied, "You're right; did you tell Him thank you."? Immediately Maxim said Thank you Yahweh (God). Then he paused for a moment and said "God said You're Welcome."