Who Do You Process Stuff With?

Tonight we went out on a double date with Josh and Bex. They are very much a part of our journey and on this journey of adoption with us. The date was a recreation of another date we did last fall when they talked to us about their adoption journey beginning. We were sitting at Chipotle last year when they asked if we would be a reference for them for their adoption. Jeanne-Ann and I were kicking each other under the table because we had the most significant, to that point, adoption conversation just that morning. It was as if God were giving us the go ahead and confirming what He had started in our hearts. It was a HUGE moment for us.

Tonight we got together to talk, share and just be together. We went back to Chipotle and then to Starbucks just like last time. We talked church stuff, we talked life, we talked adoption. We laughed, we cried, we just enjoyed. When I hang out with good friends it is just good for my soul. Tonight was a good for my soul night. I have friends that I get to talk about our process, but to have someone else who is going through the process as well is so important. It's doubley wonderful when they are dear friends.

They are a couple of months ahead of us in the process so we get to kind of ride in the wake of what they are doing. They are plowing the way. Actually they are in about the same place as my sister and brother-in-law (Nina and Wes.) It's so fun to hear about the blogs they are reading and conversations they have had and "compare notes."

Do you have someone you process life with? If you don't, can I encourage you to pray for someone like that? Ask God to bring someone along your way. That person(s) may already be in your life and perhaps it's time to go ask them if they would like to take another step in their relationship with you. God designed us for relationship. Some have a capacity for more people and some have only a capacity for one or two close friends. Whatever your capacity is, fill it.

By the way, when we were sitting in Starbucks we saw this dude who walked through the mall with a mesh half-shirt and dad jeans. Is that look coming back in style? I wore a similar shirt in the 80s. I hope it does!

[sidenote: last month we went to dinner with Josh and Becca at an Ethiopian restaurant in Portland to celebrate our dossier being sent off to Ethiopia. We had authentic Ethiopian food and it was DELICIOUS! I can't wait for the next time. I REALLY can't wait to eat it while we are actually IN Ethiopia!]