Eli has been home for 5 weeks last Saturday, and yet pictures like the one above keeps our family grounded.
Whenever I see my son crawl over to a vent and stick his face or his feet over the air and squeal in delight, I remember. I remember how stuffy it was in his cramped room in the orphanage. Eli and the other 5 children with cribs stuffed together sat in this hot room with no ventilation and in a couple layers of clothes everyday, and their conditions were much better than many children in his situation.
I would play with him everyday, and we would sweat together. I remember one night talking with Amanda on the phone and telling her I couldn’t wait to get him home so we could wash that sweat smell away.
5 weeks removed from this condition, sometimes I forget, but Eli hasn’t. He still crawls (or now walks) up to a vent in the house, takes a deep breath, and sighs a sigh of relief that reminds me why I follow Jesus.
We didn’t go to Ethiopia to provide Eli air conditioning. But it does remind us of how ungrateful we are daily for the comforts that are actually luxuries. Privileges that we think are necessity. Even when circumstances aren’t perfect, we have way more than what we deserve or even need.
We are blessed people today. I pray Eli reminds you of that.
Travis Agnew serves as the Lead Pastor of Rocky Creek Church in Greenville, SC. His most recent book is Just (About) Married.
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