Suffering

Adam's had hives for the last 5 days. This after a very painful previous week with a huge sore on his tongue (we think we know the cause of the sore). It's been hard to see him suffer and has made his mom concerned.

I've always believed that when He calls a family He has a plan for the entire family in it. Over the years I've seen people come overseas and usually go when they came with the attitude of wanting to protect their children from anything and everything that might impact them differently than their home culture. By doing that they didn't embrace the positive things that their location had to offer and refused the impact of life change through the negative in their children.

But recently I've been longing for easy access to good medical care so we can figure out what's going on with our son. He has been faithful, we've been figuring things out a bit, and I know that good medical care will come for Adam later.

But something lovely has been happening through this experience in Adam's life! He's definitely a gifted artist. (Not sure where he inherited that from!) He loves to draw but as an active boy he frequently doesn't make time for that.

This week however, he's had a pencil in his hand and art book in front of him for hours at a time. This morning he shuffled up the stairs and almost instantly asked through hive-swollen eyelids, "Where's my sketch pad?" He has Googled difficult cartoon characters all week long and drawn them all. Perfectly. At age 8.

It's been hard to watch him suffer but at the same time a joy to watch a passion ignite in him in the use of his Dad given talents. It's good to remember that sometimes suffering ushers in joy and that He has a purpose in everything. And that through everything we still have a reason to give thanks.