He Has A Hope

Today as we sat in church I was thinking about all the things I want Dzintars to know before he goes home to Latvia. I want him to know that it was God who led us to him and that he isn’t here by accident. We could have gone on with our “normal” and had a nice easy summer. But how could we do that after seeing the faces and reading the stories of so many children just waiting to be chosen, to be told they matter, knowing for most hosting is their only hope of ever finding a forever family. And so we found a new “normal” one that includes A LOT  of Google translating and a teenager that we literally need to drag out of bed in the morning, who teases and jokes with ease. When I’m tired and I just don’t want to play another round of Wii bowling or pitch one more baseball, I remind myself this may be his only chance to ever experience the love of a family and so I stay up later than I’d like and wake early to do it all over again. Because he deserves to know that he is loved. Even if the next four weeks weren’t as easy or fun as the first week and even when my 4 year old is throwing the tantrum to end all tantrums because as much as he loves Dzintars change is always hard for him – I will never regret this summer or our choice to bring Dzintars into our home. We pray that through God’s strength we will be enough to begin to bind up his broken places! That we will be enough to make up for lost time, to pour God’s love into him. God has a plan for Dzintars, we don’t yet know what that plan entails, but we do know that God is at work in his life.

We sang a song in church today called “I Have A Hope”. My husband in all this wisdom thought ahead this week and acquired this weeks songs from our music minister so he could translate them to Latvian for Dzintars. I’m so thankful! I think this song in particular perfectly expresses what I want Dzintars to know before he returns to Latvia.
 

I Have a Hope

Verse 1

I have a hope.

I have a future.

I have a destiny

that is yet awaiting me.

My life's not over.

A new beginning's just begun.

I have a hope.

I have this hope.

Verse 2

God has a plan.

It's not to harm me

but it's to prosper me

and to hear me when I call.

He intercedes for me,

working all things for my good.

Though trials may come,

we have this hope.

Chorus

I will yet praise Him;

my great Redeemer.

I will yet stand up

and give Him glory with my life.

He takes my darkness

and He turns it into light.

I will yet praise Him, my Lord, my God.

Verse 3

My God is for me.

He's not against me

so tell me whom then,

tell me whom then shall I fear?

He has prepared for me

great works He'll help me to complete.

I have a hope.

I have this hope.

Verse 4

Goodness and mercy

they're gonna follow me

and I'll forever dwell

in the house of my great King.

No eye has ever seen

all He's preparing there for me.

Though trials may come,

I have this hope.

Bridge

There's still hope for me today

for the God of Heaven loves me.

(Repeat)

Despite his orphan status he has a hope, he has a future and a destiny that is still awaiting him! God has a plan for Dzintars, it’s not to harm him but to prosper him and God hears him when he calls. I pray that Dzintars will praise the Lord in all that he does, that he will stand up and give God glory with his life!! 

Today we learned that he walks one mile each Sunday to attend church and that he was baptized this past spring. It makes me happy to know that he already has a church back in Latvia that can continue speaking these truths into his life!!