Monday, May 19, 2008

Big Time


I predict this 13 year old will break a few hearts before he gets done. I think that will be fine because hearts get stronger when they get broken anyway. Somehow they always mend back a little stronger than they were before they were broken.

By the way, Tommy knows a little about a broken heart. When you lose your mom before you hit your teenage years you know more about broken hearts than kids should ever have to know. But Tommy was one of the fortunate ones in spite of his tragedy. He had a dad who was very involved in his life and that dad just stepped up to the plate a little closer.

Dad was already working in Warner Robins and commuting from Atlanta. He and Tommy decided to leave their house in Atlanta and move to an apartment in Warner Robins. Tommy enrolled in a new school and dad and Tommy just started life over. Sometimes you have no other choice.

But God always has a plan.

The plan turned out to involve our family as you can see from this picture of Tommy sitting on our porch with our little doggie. His dad and my sister in law fell in love in fairly short order. Tom needed Mia. Mia needed Tom. And Tommy needed a mom.

And in the process of all that Tommy also got a new extended family. It started with a new step brother and sister and it stretched to a bunch of new aunts and uncles and several houses full of cousins. If he was hoping for a perfect family he will be disappointed. But if a close knit family was what he hoped to find, he found it. He found it big time.

I have a strong feeling there will be many Goddard and Whatley and Underwood family Christmases in the horizon for this young man. Not to mention the other holidays and summer vacations and all the conversations and laughter sitting around dens and back porches and dining room tables.

Yep he will break a few hearts along the way.

But he has already won a lot of hearts here.

Big time.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

As you said this was such a work from God. I am so thankful that God put Tom and Tommy in my life. It has been and continues to be a blessing. I now have three wonderful kids that I am so very proud to hear them say, "Mom". What an awesome God we have. I am so thankful for God's grace. For those of you that are about to give up for different reasons, just hang on.. God has a plan!! He did for me.

Love you!!

Anonymous said...

I am so thankful that God brought Tom and Thomas into our family. Thomas is such a "Sweetheart" and yes, he will break a few hearts as he get older. Not, that he will mean to, but that's just the way life is. I look forward to every visit I have with Mia, Tom, and their children. Thomas is a precious gift from God and I thank God for allowing Tom and Thomas to join our family.

LUW