A few weeks ago, my daughter, Ana, was chosen by her gymnastics
coach to receive a special recognition during the 15th anniversary
celebration of the gym where she trains.
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| Ana (center) receiving her gymnastics award |
As I wrote that sentence it seemed like such a normal sentence. Surely a sentence that mother upon mother has
written on Facebook, in a text to her own mother or friends, letting them know
of her child’s accomplishment. However,
those simple words, in so many other cases, as is true with Ana’s situation, hide
so much more depth, miracle, struggle and success than they reveal at first.
Ana is thirteen years old.
Ana became my daughter thirteen years ago. I coddled Ana at my breast for the first time
within hours of her having been born.
Ana is adopted.
I met Ana’s mother as the Lord was still in the process of “knitting
her together in her mother’s womb”, several months before her birth; and I
loved her from before the first ultrasound.
I was present to hear her first cry fueled by oxygen and snuggled her
into the crook of my arm as we took her home less than 24 hours after her
appearance here on earth. She and I even
shared the miracle of breastfeeding, as I was still breastfeeding my biological
daughter, Ruth, so Ana just joined in the fun for the next two years!
Now, thirteen years later, I attended her gymnastics recognition
ceremony along with “all the other moms”, knowing that this was not just another award. This was a victory.
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| Joseline, Ruth and I celebrating with Ana |
Ana’s story could have been so different had Jesus not intervened. However, isn’t that true about each of our
stories?
But Jesus DID intervene….through you, through me, through Fishers
of Men and through Refuge Ranch. By the
time Ana was two, I knew we would be sitting at many gymnastics training
sessions. That evening, she vaulted out
of the bathtub, literally. With her two
tiny little brown hands placed firmly on the white plastic bathtub edge, she
launched her two short legs over the edge of the tub, at the same time, onto
the bath towel, to get dried off.
Gymnastics, here we come!
Although Ana does an excellent job at tumbling, vaulting, stretching,
jumping and swinging, her greatest accomplishment is her attitude. Over two years into training, she has yet to
compete, because competitions are on Sunday: a non-negotiable in our
family. This month there is a
competition on a Saturday….the same day my eldest daughter gets married! So, Ana’s patience continues to be purified
by the fire of trial. Yet, having never
competed, she received a recognition for her good attitude, faithfulness and
the verbal praise of having the best core strength of anyone at the gym! We all know what is at her very core….Jesus Christ
and His redemptive power!
There are more Ana’s out there, and we are committed to
being Jesus’ agents as He seeks to intervene in their lives. So, with every rebar, nail and wheelbarrow of
cement poured into the new house, we come closer and closer to providing a better
place for many more to bound, flip and run into the hope and love that Jesus
has prepared for them.
It might have been one gymnastics certificate, but it represents
a life transformed!
