Sweet Collin

“The toughest ones are usually the sweetest ones.”

I’m sure that you have heard that foster care is a broken system. And it so is. However, in God’s great goodness and provision, our little 3 were well-loved inside of that system.

In those very early weeks with our newest additions…. well, let’s just say the struggle was real. For all of us. By all appearances, the most miserable by far, was Collin. He was so angry. So much of the time. He was a hot topic in most of my conversations with our caseworkers. I remember, more than once, hearing that phrase, “The toughest ones are usually the sweetest ones.” And I clung to that hope.

Here we are. Almost 3 years later. And do you know what I have learned? The toughest ones really are the sweetest ones.

Collin does not show love in the typical ways. But he does show love. Consistently. Daily. Sacrificially. And the longer I am his mama, the easier it is to identify. And it warms my heart again and again.

Nine years ago today, Collin came into this world. Words truly cannot express how thankful I am for this tenderhearted boy.

These are just a few of the things that I love about him…

1. I love that he chooses to trust us. That is such a big deal. I mean a huge deal. In the beginning he barely trusted us enough to live in the same house with us. Now he trusts us enough to guide him in his decisions. And to discipline him. Because he knows (and trusts) that it’s in love.
2. I love his humor. He is so so so dry. It’s adorable.
3. I love all the questions he has about God. I love that he is working so hard to understand what we are teaching him.
4. I love the way he serves those he loves. Last night we all went to Kroger together and grabbed what we each wanted for dinner. Collin insisted on carrying his dinner and water bottle along with my salad and water. In his tiny little arms! Then he opened my car door and waited for me to get settled then handed me all my items one by one. It was 26 degrees outside! So chivalrous!
5. I love how thankful he is! On our trip home from Boston yesterday he thanked us repeatedly. “Thank you for taking us to Boston mom and dad.” “Thank you for letting us ride on an airplane mom and dad.”
6. I love his words. He doesn’t organize words well. But I love how he is persevering in his communication. Because he knows it’s important.
7. I love how he sees what people do for him. And then he is always sure to point out what they could have done instead. “That was really nice of Papa to take me to the skate park. He could have stayed home and watched a football game.” “That was really nice of Ms. Upton to help me with my reading. She could have gotten some of her grading done instead.” “That was really nice of Dad to take us mountain biking. He could have gone on a fast ride by himself.”
8. I love that he does what we ask him to do. Because he knows that many hands make light work.
9. I love that he is seeing that God made him exactly as He intended.
10. I love that he is working hard to consider others as more important than himself. It’s a constant battle. For all of us.

I am so thankful to the Lord for giving us precious Collin. His sweet smile and giant eyes warm my heart.

Happy birthday sweet Collin! You are priceless!