Joy Over Jealousy

I'll admit I was jealous. I was jealous when my good friend Caleb (see his blog here) got the news that they would be traveling this month to pick up their little girl, when they hadn't been in the process near as long as we had. I was jealous when he got to go with his dad and meet her. I was jealous when their Gotcha Day, the day she became their's forever was on Christmas. I was jealous when I found out little Julia would be home by New Years.

I'm a very jealous person, aren't I? At first I felt justified, and wallowed in my own jealousy. It wasn't fair that Evan wasn't coming home and Julia was. Why did we have to wait so long?

Then I caught myself. How dare I? How dare I be upset over a baby coming home to her forever family, let alone the sister of one of my friends? Not to mention questioning God's timing... All those justifications melted away, leaving only cruel and hurtful jealousy.

I had absolutely no right to be jealous. In fact, I had every cause to be joyful. One of God's princesses is coming home to her family! She was saved from a "life" in a institution, abandoned and unloved. Evan will come home when it's time for her to come home, which leaves only room for absolute and uninhibited joy at the homecoming of another princess.

Please pray for their trip home from the Ukraine tomorrow. It's a long plane ride, and they'll have a 4-year-old who's not even used to them, let alone a plane.

Jealousy is a seed of Satan, but it can be overcome by joy. Don't let jealousy get in the way of being truly happy for others. I can say now that while, no, I'm not happy that Evan isn't home yet, I am ecstatic over the fact that my friend gets to experience the fun and joy of having a sibling with Down syndrome now. I am filled to the brim with joy that this little baby was saved from a life in an institution. And jealousy has been vanquished.

Another baby is coming home! Let's rejoice!