We’ve entered the Advent season–that time of year when in our family, we try to do a family devotion to help us filter out the noise of the world and remember the real reasons we celebrate Christmas. We light some candles, sing some songs, do a bit of reading, and, this year, let the kids open a window on their Advent calendars.
J. hates this–all except the calendar bit. Perhaps he dislikes the change. He certainly takes issue with the singing. At the beginning of the week, he took to throwing and breaking the candles and such, and responding even more violently when we’ve refused to stop. To keep things safe, we’ve had to move our little celebration to the parent’s bedroom a couple of times, but we’ve also had a few days when we’ve been able to do it all together, and that makes us hopeful. Still, the week has felt long and stressful. We hope that next week will be better, but we know it could be equally bad or even worse–J. is adding a new class at school (learning English will probably eventually help him feel like life is better, but at this point, an extra class is nothing but an unwelcome change.)
Hey Rachel! You are a strong & truly loving mama! I’m extra impressed with your perseverance, especially now that our fam has 2 new additions (1 1/2 yr old girl & 3yr old boy, siblings). The last 5 wks have felt like 5 months, so I can only imagine how it feels after 5-6 months of your lives being turned upside down. I’m lifting each one of you up to God, asking Him to bring a daily dose of hope & joy and moments of “easy” throughout each day (that will prayerfully turn into hours and days that aren’t pain-stakingly hard). You’re doing an amazing job guiding and loving J! Sending warm hugs to each of you.
Love,
Cousin Deb