Signing Off For Christmas

My blog writing has been sporadic lately.  Lots going on with Christmas on the way!  Let's see, in the past two weeks I've:

1. Finished up working with my bookkeeping clients for the year,
2. Bought and wrapped a bazillion presents,
3. Got rear-ended by an over-eager high school kid (no damage done to the vehicle, but I've been a little sore),
4. Got new windows for the house...engergy star...tax break applicable.

Actually, as I'm writing this, the banging is going on all around me as the contractors remove the windows we now have....kinda hard to concentrate.

Before I sign off, I wanted to share a little Christmas miracle.  Actually, it's a pretty big miracle for the people involved.  You see, there are two kids at my church who have been in foster care for years...good kids (I'll call them Ann and James) caught in the system because their parents are both incarcerated.  Apparently, they are elligible for adoption because the parental rights have been severed.  The problem is that the kids are teenagers, and who wants to adopt teenagers, right?

On Thanksgiving Eve, our church had a dinner.  One of the special parts of the dinner is that the floor is opened for anyone to get up and tell what they are thankful for in the past year.  This year Ann and James got up to tell their story...a heart-wrenching story of loss and gratitude...loss of their family, gratitude for the people who had made a difference in their young lives.

Two people were in the audience (let's call them John and Sue), a married couple who had never wanted kids.  John and Sue were so moved by story told by the teenagers that they could not sleep that night.  Thanksgiving morning came, and Sue got up early to fix the coffee and make breakfast, trying to hold back the tears.  She turned around, and there stood John, tears streaming down his face.  Looking at each other, they both knew...they wanted to adopt those kids and give them a permanent home.

A meeting was set up, and John and Sue came face to face with Ann and James.  The connection was immediate and strong.  Adoption proceedings began.

Normally, adoptions can take months, but because of the church family connection, John and Sue were able to qualify as adoptive parents under "kinship" laws.  Another church member was able to help expedite the process, and John and Sue found themselves signing the papers to finalize the adoption...just in time for Christmas.

I know that many of us get cynical over the years....we've been disappointed...we find it hard to believe.  But if you ask me if miracles happen, I would say that they do. 

I believe...do you?