Friday, November 14, 2008

Sleeping at the Mansell's

Hello to all again!  I am back up a running just a little after a long, hard surgery.  No sign of cancer is present and for this we praise our Lord Jesus Christ!  

I am awake while all are sleeping trying to catch up on some business that is long over due, but I couldn't help but marvel and thank God for the blessings I found fast asleep.  

Mark and I had to head into town this evening so the older ones were in charge.  We arrived home to find everyone asleep except for Lawson.  Lawson rarely sleeps before everyone is home.  I was headed to bed and looked at the sleeping bodies.  There must be something about having so many brothers and sisters that causes you to give up that personal space.  Each night I find the kids in different places asleep.  Sometimes there are five on a single bed and one on a double bed.  Some nights there are 5 on the floor, three on a bed etc.  Each child has there own bed and bedroom, but they all like being together to fall asleep.  I used to worry and try to make sure that every child slept in their own bed, but once you bring home children from Ethiopia and you learn they spent their nights sleeping in a home with a barred door, lights on and a gun waiting for someone to brake in, your perspective changes.  In one year we have accomplished 1)falling asleep without tears of fear, 2) sleeping without a light on each night, 3) no one wakes with night terrors 4) Maddie still sleeps with her Bible clutched in her hands, but not out of fear anymore.  Our nights are peaceful as each child grows and learns his/her relationship to Christ.  I wish I could locate a camera as I wanted to add a picture of everyone sleeping...I guess it will have to be added later : )

All of you who have spent a night or visited here can probably laugh when reading this post!




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