DH and I have spent a good bit of time wondering about the future. How many children will we have? Will we have boys, girls, a mix? What ages will they be? What will their interests be? Most days, we’re really impatient with God and we want to know now. We’ve waited so long to adopt and to have a family.
Sunday was Palm Sunday and what a glorious day it was. As the children processed around the church with their palm branches, I noticed that it was a light group- only five children. Two of the other children were acolyting and our congregations children are getting older. I noted to DH that we could almost double the procession for next year.
It was then that God answered a prayer. I could, for a moment, see the future. I could see next year. I would be in the same place (or perhaps sitting further back) standing there watching my children process around us with mixed feelings of joy and wondering how they would behave as they circled the sanctuary. I could see DH by my side watching the same thing. While I couldn’t see what our children looked like, I could see them walking around the church waving palm branches. I began to realize that there are things we do know about the future. Our children will be a part of our church’s activities- Palm Sunday processions, Easter Egg Hunts, VBS, Christmas Caroling, etc. And we’ll be there with them to savor every moment.
It was such a profound moment and I was moved to tears thinking about it as we sang the hymn.
Hosanna, Loud Hosanna
By: Jeanette Threlfall
Hosanna, Loud hosanna,
The little children sang,
Through pillared court and temple
The lovely anthem rang.
To Jesus, who had blessed them,
Close folded to his breast,
The children sang their praises,
The simplest and the best.
From Olivet they followed
Mid an exultant crowd,
The victor palm branch waving
And chanting clear and loud.
The Lord of men and angels
Rode on in lowly state
Nor scorned that little children
Should on his bidding wait.
“Hosanna in the highest!”
That ancient song we sing,
For Christ is our Redeemer,
The Lord of heaven our King.
Oh, may we ever praise him
With heart and life and voice
And in his blissful presence
Eternally rejoice!
I made a quick comment to DH. Then, as the choir sang All Glory, Laud, and Honor, I closed my eyes to enjoy the vision more. I wanted DH to enjoy the moment too! I wrote him a note there in church during the sermon telling him to take a moment to see it. God had answered our desire to know about the future. It’s right there for us to see.
As the service progressed, our thoughts wandered to what our kids were doing right now. I’ve no idea whether they were in church, enjoying palm sunday, or not. DH noted that a friend of ours and his son had the Easter Bunny coming after church and he could see his son finding easter eggs and then he began to think of our kids. We were both fighting back tears through most of the service.
Perhaps it is these thoughts, the wondering about what our kids are doing, if they are ok, if they are happy or sad or safe, that will allow us to understand a little of what their birth parents and foster parents will go through once our children come home to us.