Now or Never

"Nunc aut numquam", that is the Latin phrase we learned yesterday...it means "now or never."  On a seemingly small scale we face these "now or never" moments every day...we never get "this" moment back again and what we do with it leaves its mark.  But sometimes we face significant "now or never" moments. 

In class yesterday, I was thinking of my son Paul in particular...there was a time when we had his referral information in front of us, a time when he was still an orphan being cared for by the foster system of S. Korea, a "now or never" time of agreeing with God that He was grafting this little man into our family forever.  He's sick again this week (though you'd never know it in the day time...he is prone to fever-less pneumonia that rears its ugly side only at night...in his 6 short years he's had it about 10 times, along with lots of other respiratory gunk that gives us snuggling opportunities).  As I sat in class, learning our new phrase (yes, I'm learning right along with my kiddos), I silently gave thanks to God for Paul, and for His grace in knitting our lives together.  The previous night he didn't cough his guts out alone...he had me with him, comforting him, snuggling, rubbing his head (it calms him) and reading him stories in the night as everyone else in the family slept...this little guy is a family member who knows the strong bonds of a mommy and daddy's love, not to mention two pretty wonderful sisters.  That "now or never" moment 6 years ago changed the course of our family's lives and his and we have no regrets.