Looking forward and looking back

Had you told me two years ago that today I would be standing on the front porch waiving good-bye to my beloved as he began his first day of law school, I would have been incredulous. We were supposed to be half way across the world, teaching English in China...

Joshua and I began our marriage intending to spend the first year in Missouri growing in our relationship as husband and wife, completing our degrees and learning Chinese. Then we would head to the mainland to teach English together.

But God had other plans for us. Ten months after we were married, He blessed us with a beautiful baby daughter. The pregnancy went well with no hint that complications might occur. It was not until after our tiny Rosebud was safely in our arms that we realized something was wrong.

During the next 24 hours my life hung in the balance. As numerous doctors tried to stop the hemorrhaging, people we did not even know prayed for us and God spared my life.

In the days and weeks that followed, Joshua and I were filled with gratitude to God for His mercy to us. But, we also wondered if He might be redirecting our paths. After the complications, we were told to not even think about having a baby in China. And yet we believe that children are God's blessing and did not want to put off our family indefinitely.

What were we to do? Should we go anyway? Wait and go short term later?

As we thought about it, talked about it and prayed about it, God began re-kindling a childhood dream of Joshua's: the law.

By now it was late October. [For those considering attending law school, this is not the recommended timeline, you're supposed to start preparing in like June.] There was one last LSAT in '07- December 1st. He barely registered in time and had just one month to study like crazy.

At least study like crazy is what you're supposed to do: since he still had to provide for us, he worked all day and crammed in a few hours each night and on Saturdays getting ready for the big test.

December 1st came, the test was taken and then began the long wait for the scores. Sometimes we wished our Christmas present could just be a peak at those scores. At long last they arrived-- with a good report.

So, the next few weeks were spent preparing the rest of the application [writing and re-writing that essay, then tossing it and writing and re-writing a new one... ]. It seems like such a short time since the first application was taken to the post office...

That first step is over and now begins the next one: much bigger, more intimidating and more exciting! What an adventure this journey of life is!