Happy Birthday To Our Chosen Marguerite!

Sweet Little Miss Maggie,

Today is February 9th, 2011 and you are 12 years old. I had been despairing about today, but am now praising God for His tender mercies! A much sadder version of this intro had been drafted before I found out that our friends were cleared for Haiti travel, that they were going to be able to deliver your birthday gift from us, that God even orchestrated their trip to delay them one day and give them an extra day so that they would still be with you today...and that now we might have the chance to Skype with you! This is such a blessing because if this were not the case I know it is unlikely anyone around you would remember that another year of your life has passed, and you wouldn't remember either. It would just be another day of surviving orphanage life for you, and you would not even know what you missed. You have never celebrated a birthday. You have asked me numerous times, "Mom, when is my birthday?" I ask you the same question and you answer with a different month each time (both in Creole and English). This is because you don't really understand what a birthday is other than another day that makes you a different number. Days just run together, and numbers aren't very significant either. You cannot remember well enough what life was like before you were an orphan. The fact that you are still an orphan as another year of your life rolls by doesn't make it feel like there is much to celebrate. But this day is very special to us and we are celebrating you! 

Today 12 years ago your birth mother gave you precious life, held you in her arms, and loved you. She was taken from this life before she could love you for long, but God did not choose to leave you orphaned. Today one year ago we were staring at your picture, realizing that with your birthday you were one year older than we had been told, and prayed for you and about becoming your forever family. We are very sad that we cannot be with you on your birthday, and even more sad that you cannot be home with us. If you were, we would let you sleep in, bring your favorite breakfast in bed...eggs with melted cheese and toast with peanut butter on top. We would let you open a present...a new pink outfit fit for a princess. It would be a special day in our house, and you would feel so special. We would wait for Dad to get home from work, and all share you favorite dinner around our table. Your brothers would hurry the meal because they would be so excited for you to blow out the candles on your cake and they would want to help. Then you would open the rest of your presents and we would enjoy just being a family, playing games, or watching a family movie all snuggled up on the couch together. This isn't happening today, but we are still celebrating you! 

Magpie

We are celebrating the year we have had the privilege of getting to know you, and learning all about what makes you special. We are celebrating that you have such a joyful spirit despite all that you have suffered in your twelve years of life. We are celebrating the fact that you love Jesus, and trust that He has a perfect plan for you. We are celebrating how you love others and take care of Esmee and all the little children around you. We are celebrating that you often put others needs above your own, and that you want to make others happy. We are celebrating that this is what makes you happy...your servants heart. We are celebrating that you have many friends because you are kind and show yourself friendly. We are celebrating that you always strive to do your best, and delight in your accomplishments no matter how big or small. We are celebrating that you want to do what is right, and are sensitive and saddened when you fall short of this. We are celebrating your sweet smile that can light up a room. We are celebrating the way you are always moving and dancing about, and the way you love to sing. We are celebrating that God chose you for our family, and you are our chosen Marguerite (Elita means "Chosen"). We are celebrating that you love us too, and that you want more than anything to be our daughter, and a sister to Esmee, Ethan, and Evan. We are celebrating that you embrace having grandparents, aunts, uncles, and many, many, cousins. We are celebrating that when you look at pictures of our friends you say, "my friend too?" We pray that one day you will get to meet them all, and we pray that it is one day before your next birthday. We are celebrating you today because we love you, and we are so very proud of the young lady you are becoming. You were just a little girl last February 9th and even last April, when you reached out your arms to me over the balcony and shouted "Mama!" the first time I laid eyes on you. I will never forget that moment, and I am so blessed to have been your "Mama" this year. You are not such a little girl anymore, but we pray that there is still some of the little girl left that we first encountered when you finally come home to us. We are celebrating you today because you have taught us so much and have changed us so much! And although this has been a tough year for us all, we are so grateful for it, and especially for you. 

I was thinking of how you always make me smile with your endless singing, and one song that you have sung over and over again this year came to mind and filled my heart with joy for you. And you always start out with this song, so it must be your favorite. I have known this song for years but when I re-read the lyrics, thought of you singing them in English and Creole and the meaning they must have for you, oh the tears! What a perfect song God has placed in your heart this year! Keep singing and dancing and believing that...

Over the mountains and the sea

Your river runs with love for me

And I will open up my heart

And let the healer set me free 

I'm happy to be in the truth

And I will daily lift my hands

For I will always sing

Of when Your love came down 

I could sing of Your love forever

I could sing of Your love forever 

Over the mountains and the sea

Your river runs with love for me

And I will open up my heart

And let the healer set me free 

I'm happy to be in the truth

And I will daily lift my hands

For I will always sing

Of when Your love came down 

Oh, I feel like dancing

It's foolishness I know

But when the world has seen the Light

They will dance with joy

Like we're dancing now

God thank you for sharing sweet Marguerite with us this year...we pray this song over her today...that far away over the mountains and the seas of Haiti a little 12 year old girl somehow knows that there is a river running with love for her! 

Happy 12th Birthday Elita Marguerite!