The months leading up to our big day were packed with emotions. Some good and some not so good. There were moments of excitement and moments of reluctance. We were about to pour the ingredients of two very different meals into one blender and create a new recipe for our lives. My children and I started packing up our ingredients. While Greg's girls tried to make room. We brought some boxes over to our future home a little at a time. And it was becoming clear that some of our ingredients were leaving a bitter aroma in the home that was, up until now, occupied by a trio. We hadn't even unpacked the boxes and there was a small chemical reaction. It seemed that my future daughters and my youngest daughter were not to excited about the prospect of the blender. But this would take time. And I prayed that God would give me the wisdom to know how much of each ingredient to add. And the right time to add them.
All of the children were involved in the meal planning from the beginning. My husband and I thought that it was important that they had a hand in preparing the feast. On the surface they all seemed to want to be involved. But initially, deep in their core, some of the kids had no desire to partake in the recipes end result. And at times added a bit too much salt. Making it a very difficult meal to eat.
The blending day arrived. And when I look back at the pictures it is evident who had joyful savory ingredients and who had a brackish but bitter-sweet element in their hearts that first day. We celebrated our union with family and friends. We danced, ate and had a fun day. Afterwards the kids went to stay with their other parents for a week while Greg and I went on our honeymoon. And one week later the quartet moved into the trios home. Greg and I tried our best to make the septet sing in harmony. It wasn't very melodious. Tension began to grow as we dumped ourselves and pushed the children (some needed a gentle push and others a bit of a heave ho) into the blender. We hit the button and hoped for the best.
Our initial recipe was awful. There was a lot of crying and frustration. It just had a very astringent flavor. And the ingredients began to separate the instant the blades stopped blending. Something was wrong. An ingredient was missing. You see we forgot to add the most important ingredient of all. God wasn't invited into the blender. So, there we were. Five very traumatized children. And two heartbroken parents. We wanted so desperately for our children to want to be a part of this, the recipe of our life. We knew it was going to take a lot to convince them to willfully go back into the blender. I remember praying every morning and night that my "family" would come together. I am still, to this very day, praying this very same prayer. Being a family takes a lot of work and perseverance. God has been faithful in bringing healing and restoration to my septet. We have all been wounded by the blades and each other. But one thing I know for sure is that we wouldn't be where we are today if it wasn't for some of our disastrous first experimental recipes.
Recently, the Lord placed on my heart that it was time for me to share the blender recipes from O. Court with my community. In this day in age there seems to be a lot of blended or not so blended families out there. And I pray that over the next few weeks/months. That my septets recipes help you in your journey in becoming a well balanced blended family. I am not sure exactly how God wants me to share. But I know that He will provide the time and the place. Please pray for me as I will put my family and myself out there and invite you into our hearts. I hope you enjoy the stories about the meals that came out of our blender. The recipes of our life.
No comments:
Post a Comment