Together

To my girls, Charlotte and Flora Lin.  As I was making cookies this weekend, I thought of how we'd be doing this together someday soon.  I picture you both sitting on the big counter top, flour everywhere, sugar spilled on the floor, something sweet in each of your mouths as we watch the mixer put it all togther.  Papa asks every five minutes if there is anything he needs to taste test.  We all act a little too silly because we've had way too much sugar, but that's ok today.

Not every day or moment or memory will be sweet, but this one will.  We've got so many good times ahead!

 ~  ~  ~

I think of you every day, in all ways, both bad times and great ones, big ways and small ones.  On rainy days, when there's nothing to do but make something.  Or bake something.  We'll do this all together, soon.

All of us, our family, we are separated right now.  Your mama and papa are across the ocean, half a world away.  Two sisters are separated but mountains, rivers and orphanage gates.  Each of us, in a separate place.

 

It seemed so big at first.  How could all of our broken hearts be fixed?  How would it all come together?  How would this mess ever be something good?    How could God take all of this, this that doesn't seem to work together, and make it good?

 

 I felt so mixed up sometimes.  So did your papa.  So did each of you.  

There were still sweet times.  Good times.  But there was always something missing.  

Things didn't seem like they would ever come together.  Sometimes they felt like they would fall apart even more.

 

 

 But now we know where all the pieces are.  We know what the pieces are.  We know what we need to bring us together.  To make it right.  To make life even sweeter.  

No, it won't be perfect.  There are times that situations will seem to be a little too hard or too fragile or just plain wrong in our lives together.  

And then we will look back to what once seemed so impossible and remember how...

 

   

How it finally came together. 

 

It is beginning to come together now.  It is beginning to make sense a little bit.  

I know you can't see it now.  I know it won't seem right when you first are separated from everything you've ever known.  I know, sweet one, that you'll feel more broken than ever.  Torn apart.

 

But, sometimes in life we have to take a little (or a lot) of heat.  So far, you've done that alone.  

Too many times.  

There won't always be answers to the whys of our hard times.  But, we'll be there with you.  

We'll all be together.  

 

We'll soon become a family.  We'll go through mix ups and things that don't make sense together.  And that will make life so much sweeter.

It will all be right in the end, don't worry.  

God's got this.  He's got us.

And always remember, if it's not ok yet, then it's not the end, because in the end, God wins.  We're together with Him.  

We can never be separated from Him or His love.

Together.

And we'll always be there to remind you of that, girls...  with a hug and a reassuring word... and maybe a glass of milk and a plate of warm cookies.