Out on a Limb Together

I snapped this picture yesterday when we stopped off at a state park for some hiking on the way back from our vacation.

And I love it for a variety of reasons.

First, notice my 5 year old daughter is leading the way across that log while the boys and the dog are lagging behind trying to get themselves together to make it across! That is so my daughter, she has no fear when it comes to stuff like this. She was tearing out across the limb and it even went across a little ravine just a few feet beyond where she's standing in this picture and she was totally ready to walk across without worry of falling! I cautioned her, but she charged on, until, that is, she encountered a swarm of bugs and then she was outta there! Girl is not at all afraid of physical feats or any of the roller-coasters she was tall enough to ride on our trip, either, but a few bugs (really it only takes 1) will send her screaming!!

I also love the imagery in the picture of our family (crazy new puppy and all) out on a limb together, because that is what this journey following after God feels like sometimes, and really it's the best place to be!

We've had a lot of discussions and wonderings over the past few weeks about just what it is that God has for our family as things with Ethiopian adoptions become more uncertain. My daughter even brought up tonight (which totally doesn't relate to the current state of adoption slow-downs in Ethiopia) that we should adopt 3 kids instead of just one because she liked the idea of having 6 kids in our family just like the family in her dollhouse (we've added children to the original set to be able to represent a variety of races in our dollhouse, so there are several kids in there of many colors). Then my 8 year old piped up, "Yeah, is it too late for us to change our paperwork so that we can adopt 3 kids instead of just 1?"

It's so crazy, but at this point if the Ethiopian government would let us bring home 3 kids, we'd totally entertain the idea! I think what has changed most about us in the last 3 years is our flexibility and willingness to consider things beyond our comfort zone for the sake of serving God best.

One thing we know for sure, as a family we are willing to be out on that limb following the path He has for us, whatever it is.

Granted we may need some bug repellent!


Find more Thankful Thursday here.