Commencement

Commence-

v: to enter upon: begin

synonyms: begin, embark (on or upon), enter (into or upon), fall (to), get off, kick off, launch, lead off, open, start

When I was younger, I thought it was so strange that graduations are often called Commencement Ceremonies. I would think, " these students are graduating from high school or college, ending their school career". It's an ending, not a beginning! Ha! Now that I am older, and {hopefully} a little bit wiser, I understand that ending a certain era of your life is the start of a new one. 

This week, we are celebrating two of our daughters' commencements. Our sweet Aislynn is graduating from pre-k this Thursday. If you knew how emotional I was about this, you would think I needed to be sent to a mental hospital. I cannot believe that my precious baby girl is going to be starting kindergarten in a couple of short months. To think that she will be in school each and every day while the rest of us are at home carrying on our normal routine, is almost too much for this Mama to handle! My only consolation is that she is SO excited about going to her new school. In fact, she drew a picture of her waiving to me as she leaves for her new kindergarten school on my Mother's Day card...that didn't bring tears to my eyes or anything!! Aislynn is my eager learner and soaks up new information like a sponge. She can't get enough, and I love that about her. I know she is going to excel and adjust perfectly to being in school full time ....I just hope it comes easy for me as well:)

The other commencement we are celebrating, is that of our sweet Ukrainian daughter. She will be celebrating her 9th grade graduation this week. What does this mean for Ukrainian orphans? Graduation day for Ukrainian orphans is typically their last day in the orphanage, if they have already turned 16. On the surface, this sounds like a good thing, right? These kids get to start fresh, get a new take on life, leave the sadness and despair of orphanage life, etc.  Unfortunately, this is not the case. An overwhelming amount of orphans face graduation with fear. You see, when these orphans leave the orphanage, they have maybe a tiny bag of belongings  (if they're lucky), no money, no family, no connections, no one looking out for them to mentor them, or help them find their way into adulthood. These are CHILDREN....sent out onto the streets to figure things out on their own. Can you imagine sending out your own children at age 16 into this big world and telling them to just figure things out? I sure can't!

It is no wonder that so many of these orphans end up in a life of crime, prostitution, and suicide. They have NO hope. This is the very future that our precious, precious child faced a few short months ago. She thought she was going to be out on the streets. She thought all of her hopes and dreams for this life would remain just that.... dreams. Dreams without ever having a chance to fulfill them. I know many people thought we were nuts when we announced we were adopting a 15 year old when we have 4 little ones at home. But can you see now how turning our backs on her and letting her walk into this dark, unknown world alone simply was not an option? Can you see how we feel BEYOND humbled that the Lord has chosen US to parent His daughter? To help her find her way in this world? And to help her realize her dreams? 

"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10

Every child that was born on this earth is God's creation. He loves each of us the same, and He created each of us with a specific purpose in mind. He made no mistakes. Orphans have the same desires that we all do. To be somebody. To be loved. To have a family. To simply have a CHANCE.  I know without a doubt, that He has big plans for our daughter. That He is going to use her in mighty ways. 

While it makes my heart happy to know that she can have her commencement ceremony without this bleak future facing her on the other side, I am fully aware that there are thousands of other orphans, in Ukraine alone, that will be commencing a life of utter darkness, hopelessness, and despair. Oh, how I wish there was a family for each and every one of them!! To these precious children of God, I would love to say, " Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9. Even though they might not have an earthly family, if they could just know the love of the Lord, and know that their Heavenly Father is with them, then they could commence their new "adult" life with courage!!

I want to leave you with a couple of pictures of our girl from this past week. She is working so hard to prepare for her new life in a new country. We could not be more proud of her hard work and dedication. If you feel a stirring in your heart for orphans, please do not ignore it! You too could give hope for a new future to a sweet child that so desperately deserves it. 

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."Jeremiah 29:11