It's been a few weeks, so I wanted to update you all on our lives as of late. Thanks so much to all of you who have been praying, praying, and praying some MORE! We have needed your prayers desperately and are more thankful than we can tell you for your partnership in that way. Thank you!!!!!
I have to start this update out by saying GOD IS GOOD. LIFE IS GOOD. :) We are getting into a "doing-life-together rhythm" in the Butler home these days. Woohoo! It feels good.
In the last several weeks we have: Lost lots of sleep, had lots of intense discipline/correction moments with our precious girl (we call her our doodle :)), been brought to the end of ourselves, the end of our wisdom, the end of our own strength....AND.... we have experienced the grace of God sustaining us in ways we never dreamed possible. Praise God - Where our strength ends, His begins. He continually gives us wisdom, enables us to forgive over and over and over and over, pulls our perspective back into alignment with His perspective....He reminds us over and over to seek His heart toward Hayleigh and to fight through our own human emotions to see her through His eyes.
We are falling in love with this girl. She has been through some major trauma and is affected by it in a hundred different ways....but, slowly but surely, we are seeing God transform her heart. She is becoming so much more secure, more accustomed to our routines (working on letters and numbers, visits with her family weekly, weekly dance class, bedtime routines, etc...), learning to understand having consistent consequences for her behaviors, etc... Over the last 2 days in particular she has been an absolute DELIGHT to us! She is making more and more GOOD choices, learning to obey the FIRST time she's told, learning to talk to us with respect... She's even BARELY beginning to be okay with us being in a different room from her for a moment or two at a time. Major progress here!!! :)
God has taught both of us so much about Himself and about ourselves over the last month that she's been in our home. For me personally, here are a few things I've learned:
-God's promises to lead us, to give us wisdom if we ask Him, are so REAL and so RIGHT NOW for me....for all of us. We ask, He gives....wisdom, grace, insight, discernment.... He is faithful to respond when we are faithful to ask.
-When I don't have one more ounce of strength left, physically or emotionally, HE comes and fills in the gaps. Where I am weak, He is strong...and He receives glory.
-I have learned that we can't do this on our own. We've always known we've needed our friends and family, but now that need is so much more in my face. I have learned that I need to do a better job asking for practical help from the people in our lives. God created us to need one another within His body.
-I've learned that, as a parent, I am SOOOOOOO influenced by the way I was parented!! Multiple times a day, I do things my mom did when I was little, say things she said, sing songs to Hayleigh that she taught me..... I am so thankful for my godly parents. (One example: I think I say "because I said so" at least 10 times every day! :))
Soooo.... in a nutshell, even with how HARD this has been, and I'm sure will still be off and on, I am fully alive as I lay my life down day-in and day-out caring for both of our sweet girls. I think Stan would say the same, though I want to ask him if he'll write a post from his own perspective. One quick thought on him - - He deserves the DAD OF THE DECADE award. :) This has NOT been easy for Stan and yet he continues to love and serve and lay down his life.... Over and over again I've watched him press into the Lord, in spite of his emotions, and fight for God's perspective on Hayleigh....asking Him over and over for His heart for her, etc.... Stan is doing so, so well and I am blown away by the man that I married.....and I'm madly in love. :)
Finally...our spiritual family is amazing. Stan and I are beginning to have date nights more regularly. I played on the worship team this morning for the first time in a month. (It was so good for my heart!!) These things wouldn't be possible without people babysitting and loving on our kiddos for us.... Thank you!!! We have had people offer to come clean for us, cook for us, etc.... God is prompting people to serve us in practical ways like these and we are soooooooo thankful!!!! Like I said before, I am learning to admit my needs, my limits and my need for rest, for time with my hubby, etc...and God is so faithful to provide for us through our spiritual family and friends here.
To those of you who are far away, thank you for how much you are praying.... I know I said this before but I'll say it again - we cannot do this without your prayer partnership. THANK YOU.
Both girls still have long roads ahead of them before permanency will be established for them. Please pray that God will have His way in their lives and in ours. Much love to you all!!
(I forgot to mention - if anyone wants to see pictures of our last few weeks, drop me an email: danalynnb@gmail.com.)
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