Blessed

This evening I watch Gracen fresh and clean from his bath as he toddles across the floor with a smile from ear to ear.  He recently learned to walk and he is so proud of his newest and greatest achievement in his short life.  As parents, it is amazing to us as well to watch God's miracle walk across the room.  All of our children have done it yet we still look on in awe and wonderment of this little being that God created.  Gracen is at my very most favorite stage.  He is becoming his own little person yet he still needs his mother's cuddles to reassure him that all is right with the world.  I hold these moments dear.  I know from experience that all too soon these milestones will become a cherished memory. 
Gracen has taught us much about the Grace of God.  He was the child that we longed for seven long years but God said no.  God knew that if he gave this precious child to us to soon our family would miss out on even more of his wonderful blessings.  If we had been given Gracen when we first asked and longed for him we would have never experienced the joy of adoption and we would have never known Conner and Veah.  God saved this blessing for the perfect time and in the process he blessed us not only once but three times over.
We don't always know or understand why God blesses us when he does.  Sometimes our journey is full of sorrow and deep pain as we wait and watch others be blessed.  Why not us?  Why not now?  Sometimes, most often years later, we can see the plans God had for us.  Other times we can never make sense of it all.  In these moments of darkness and discomfort God reminds us that this is not our home.  We long for the contentment that this world in those moments cannot offer.
Gracen reminds us every day of God's deep love for us and of his plans to bless us in His time.  In those moments of darkness we could have never even dreamed of the wonderful plans that God had for our family.  Because of Gracen, we wait patiently with anticipation to see what God has in store for us next.  We are learning that God's plans are so much better than our own and we are truly blessed.