During our wedding ceremony we laid flat on our faces.
Yes, me in my gown, Tim in his tux; friends and family all looking on.
We laid down on the altar, faces down, and arms stretched out before the Lord.
Laying prostrate is an act of humble submission. When we planned our wedding, we knew we wanted to do this small act of public worship as a symbol of submitting in a radical way our life and our marriage to the will of God.
This radical submission to the will of God has played out in many ways throughout our 20 years together on this journey. Recently, a profoundly beautiful moment illustrated this missional alignment with what we were doing in our lives today with who those two kids laying prostrate said they wanted to be.
The back story: as our life together and marriage unfolded, we felt called to become foster parents, which led to the adoption of four of our seven children. One day in prayer, after the four littles had been brought into our home, my husband shared with me that the words spoken in mass felt deeply personal in regard to our role as foster parents:
“Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed” {Matthew 8:8}
These young, vulnerable children are the image of the Living God. In their tenderness, in their brokenness, in their innocence, and their hurts. In their hopes and dreams, desires, and goals. In their longing for love and healing. And not just the children who have come to us from hard places, but this is true for our three children who were born into our family as well. In every fiber of their being, they each are a sacred gift. We are not worthy that they should come under our roof.
We are not worthy of the sacred duty of parenting these sweet souls.
We are not worthy of the honor it is to share in the joy that is childhood.
We are not worthy of the privilege of witnessing who they are becoming day by day.
So, with each soul added to our family, we found ourselves spiritually laying prostrate again as we had physically done at our wedding, making that same vow of humble submission to our Lord.
In awe of the sacred gift that every human life is, we approach each other and our children with reverence and gratitude for the gift and, ultimately, the Giver.
What gift that maybe you feel like you didn’t deserve are you most grateful for today?
Yes, me in my gown, Tim in his tux; friends and family all looking on.
We laid down on the altar, faces down, and arms stretched out before the Lord.
Laying prostrate is an act of humble submission. When we planned our wedding, we knew we wanted to do this small act of public worship as a symbol of submitting in a radical way our life and our marriage to the will of God.
This radical submission to the will of God has played out in many ways throughout our 20 years together on this journey. Recently, a profoundly beautiful moment illustrated this missional alignment with what we were doing in our lives today with who those two kids laying prostrate said they wanted to be.
The back story: as our life together and marriage unfolded, we felt called to become foster parents, which led to the adoption of four of our seven children. One day in prayer, after the four littles had been brought into our home, my husband shared with me that the words spoken in mass felt deeply personal in regard to our role as foster parents:
“Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed” {Matthew 8:8}
These young, vulnerable children are the image of the Living God. In their tenderness, in their brokenness, in their innocence, and their hurts. In their hopes and dreams, desires, and goals. In their longing for love and healing. And not just the children who have come to us from hard places, but this is true for our three children who were born into our family as well. In every fiber of their being, they each are a sacred gift. We are not worthy that they should come under our roof.
We are not worthy of the sacred duty of parenting these sweet souls.
We are not worthy of the honor it is to share in the joy that is childhood.
We are not worthy of the privilege of witnessing who they are becoming day by day.
So, with each soul added to our family, we found ourselves spiritually laying prostrate again as we had physically done at our wedding, making that same vow of humble submission to our Lord.
In awe of the sacred gift that every human life is, we approach each other and our children with reverence and gratitude for the gift and, ultimately, the Giver.
What gift that maybe you feel like you didn’t deserve are you most grateful for today?
