The Thomas Family: it's so much more than just "dance lessons"

Kristen had her 1st dance lesson yesterday. She's doing 1/2 hour of ballet, and 1/2 hour of tap on Saturday mornings. While watching her yesterday, I ~~got a little teary-eyed~~ basically bawled my eyes out the whole time. Here's why (in addition to obviously being hormonal):

This was about so much more than just a dance lesson. Kristen has never been able to do something like this before. Either no one has cared to put her in some sort of activity, or her behavior has been so bad that she couldn't be put in any extracurricular activities.

When she came home in December, we had serious questions about whether we'd EVER be able to do anything with her besides school, therapy and church. Her behavior was just out of control (but she had made tremendous improvement in the 6 months with her former foster family before she came to live with us). We were seeing full-blown tantrum meltdowns almost daily, and that's just the tip of the iceberg.

A friend of mine commented on how much progress she's made since she came home 8 months ago. We have to agree. It's just unbelievable. The fact that we were even able to consider an extracurricular activity is mind boggling. But then, she went to her class and listened to her teacher. And did everything that was asked of her. And TRIED to do things that were "tricky." She looked to us for approval from time to time, (there are viewing windows into the dance studio) and we assured her she was doing a great job.

For Kristen, it's a sense of doing a "normal" little girl thing. It's a hope for her future that I can't even adequately express. It's proof of an amazing God who loves her, and won't let go of her.

People often tell Will and I what a great job we are doing with her. We are thankful for the compliments, because in the daily trenches, sometimes it's tough to see the progress she's made (until my mom reminds me to look at the pictures from the beginning, and the pictures from now-see below). However, we can't take credit for her progress at all. It's nothing that we've done. Y'all, we have no idea what we're doing. Most of the time, we are taking stabs in the dark about strategies or discipline techniques that might work.

However, we pray daily for wisdom in parenting her. And we pray for her soul daily. We pray daily for wisdom in parenting her. We pray that God will show her the seriousness of her own sinfulness, and that she'll come to know Jesus as her Lord and Savior. We pray daily for wisdom in parenting her. We pray for her behavior. We pray daily for wisdom in parenting her. We pray that she will feel safe, loved, and secure in our home. We pray daily for wisdom in parenting her. We pray that we will be patient and merciful towards her. The list could go on and on...

I truly believe that it's just been in the last year or so that she's actually had people praying specifically for her. I believe that is why she's made so much progress. Her former foster parents are Christians, and I know that they, and their family, and their church prayed/are praying for her. I also know that our family, friends and church are praying for her.

When I talk to her therapist and her psychiatrist they are amazed at her progress, and say they haven't seen anything like it before. It's the power of prayer, and a God who can work miracles. I'm seeing it daily- when she chooses to tell the truth even though she's going to get in trouble- when she doesn't fall apart when we tell her "no"- when she accepts discipline and can tell us why she is in trouble- and a million other little things that sometimes I notice, and sometimes I don't...