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Wednesday, July 13, 2011
maggie bustin' a move
- An angel from above....
- The past few years have been full of heartache, frustration, questioning, joy, love, redemption, and crying out to our Savior.I have watch my best friend Gwen, be the hands and feet of Jesus OVER and OVER to her little Maggie. Three and a half years ago, Gwen flew to China to bring home a little girl that was missing some hair. We thought a surgery to add some hair, and she'll be good to go. At first glance, Gwen knew there was more. Her eyes were hollow, she wouldn't look anyone in the eyes, and she was covered in bruises. It was obvious that the burn on her head was not an accident but out of abuse. She was BROKEN. She had learned not to look anyone in the eyes for self preservation. When people saw her they would gasp because of her outward appearance. She was like an animal. She scratched, bit, pinched...the tantrums were like NONE I had ever seen. Her eyes would roll back in her head and she would act as though she was pulling binding from her wrists and ankles. WITHOUT DOUBT, ONE OF THE MOST HEARTBREAKING THINGS i have ever seen in real life. She did not know how to receive love, and she didn't know how to give it. The first year, Gwen camped out at my house because she couldnt take her out much because she was so unpredictable but Gwen had to get out to keep from losing her mind. We had multiple conversations about when and if her tantrums would ever end...it was a dark, dark season in Gwen's life. Gwen continued to love her and show her what unconditional love looked like. We had to remind ourselves over and over that God gave Maggie to the Oatsvalls, and if she was suppose to be their little girl, that meant everything that came with her. While I was in Uganda, bringing home Josie Love, I was so thankful that I had Gwen's experience to remind me that while I was completely "out of my comfort zone" God had me in the palm of HIS hand. That if Josie was my child, when I got on a plane to pick her up, that whatever baggage she had when I got there, was mine also.Maggie is on her 6th surgery now. Hopefully it is her last. The surgeons went in yesterday and added bone from her ribs to her skull to cover the part of her brain that was unprotected. She is in ICU, hopefully to be moved to a normal room today. Today, Maggie is one of the most loving, happy children that I have ever known. She looks you in the eye, tells story with a joy that only Christ (and a loving mother) can give. LOVE HEALS...I have seen it first hand. Seeing Maggie go from a broken (IN EVERY WAY) little girl, to being WHOLE from the inside OUT because of a home, siblings, and parents that were steadfast in living out the gospel each and every day to heal her little heart!I am so thankful that God has given me a friend like Gwen. We have walked through the valleys and the hilltops together. I have seen her on her knees full of despair, and standing tall in KNOWING that only HE can give her child exactly what she needs to thrive. She is full of strength and relies on HIM daily to give her what she needs. I am so thankful that I have her to as an example to follow. Pray with me for rest and perseverance for Gwen as she helps Maggie heal from her surgery. AND that the Lord will heal Maggie's "booboo" so she'll be ready to go to kindergarten in August.
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About Me
- suzanne
- I am a lover of Jesus. I have the most fabulous husband that anyone woman could ask for. The Lord has blessed us with 7 beautiful children. I started this blog so that friends and family could follow our trip to Uganda to visit Katie Davis. I have decided to keep blogging to help bring orphan awareness to the world around me.
3 comments:
beautiful tribute, Suzanne. We are all praying for precious Maggie because we know yourself and Gwen. Surely, you two are why this child loves princesses. How else would she know what they even are if not for Gwen and you? God heals. I pray this is so entirely true for Maggie, even today.
THank you for this encouraging post. We foster and hope to adopt through the foster system. It is a well known fact that most kids are going to have some difficult baggage. It can be scary to think about and jump into. We are always told that and never given specific examples of healing. This was perfect for my today.
Thank you.
And I am soooo thankful her surgery went well!
What a beautiful story of God's grace at work...praying for Maggie's recovery with ya'll. Pray with me for my sister and her twin adopted "broken" girls who five years later are still not receptive to the loving family and His grace which He has so freely offered them...it has been a hard road (to put it mildly) and our hope remains in God alone for them...we hang on to the idea that God hasn't revealed the last chapter to us yet and take each day at a time, trusting His grace to be sufficient for each one.
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