Our sectional sofa easily sleeps 5 young boys!
Levi is checking out all the leftover pizza the next morning!
I have discovered that while much of the country sees "the weekend" as a time to relax and unwind, the weekends at our house can be the busiest times of the week. Especially if it happens to be a LONG weekend, like the one that is just ending.
By Friday afternoon of each week, after the kids get back from the "fun" activity that Bryan and Kevin take them to (as a reward for a week of tutoring) our street is filled with kids playing basketball out front or just hanging out on the porch.
Saturdays are filled with sports events - our own kids games as well as several of the boys that we have grown to love. They love knowing that "coach Kelly" will be there watching their games. Bryan also gets at least 10 phone calls (I am not kidding) from kids who just want a ride to the games, then to be able to come hang out when they are all over. Those same kids all want to come to church with us the next morning, so the phone calls continue Sat night and Sunday mornings.
Sunday mornings are spent picking up kids for church, attending a church and then lunch afterward. I have not gotten good enough to have a huge home-cooked meal available for Sunday dinner, so usually we end up at CiCi's or even just picking up Su
bway!
It never fails that IF there is a school holiday on Monday morning, there are at least 5 boys who ask to spend the night at our house. And that's exactly what happened yesterday! So after night church, we pulled out the sofa bed and found all our extra blankets and 5 precious boys and my oldest 2 , stayed up late watching cartoons and playing video games. This morning they were all up by 7:45 (thanks to Levi) and ready for breakfast and a day of basketball, more video games, and a civil rights celebration ceremony downtown. It was 5:30 this evening when Bryan finally took everyone home.
"Why?" you may be asking yourself, "would you choose a lifestyle like that?" "How can you be o.k. with SO many people needing your husbands attention and time, and taking over your home like that?"
Well, to tell you the truth, I have to be reminded time and time again. And on Sunday night, as Bryan spoke to a bible study about our ministry, I was reminded and refueled, and ready to come home to all those children. During that bible study, Bryan spoke about these boys who are now in middle school and involved in weekly bible studies. He talked about the change that may happen at our local high school in just a few years if these boys continue to walk with God and grow in their relationship with Him. Can you imagine???! A group of 20 or so males in the High school who love Jesus and who are willing to stand against their culture??? What will the girls think? What will the teachers think? What will this CITY think??
I think I am witnessing a MIRACLE of God slowly unfolding right before my very eyes.
That's exactly why I wanted to be here, and it stands as my foundation when the waves of chaos wash over me. It's exactly what I prayed for in 2000 as a single woman on a mission trip to Kazakhstan that the Lord would "give me boys" to raise up to be leaders and warriors in the Kingdom of God for the next generation. He has answered that prayer 10-fold - way more than I could have ever imagined.
So stay tuned, because Lord willing, you will also see this miracle-in-progress and be able to say with me, even before we get to Heaven: "I have SEEN GOD!"
