Rear View Driving

I admit that I glance in my rear view mirrow quite a bit while I am driving.  I just love watching my kids when they don't know I am watching them.  I can see my boys in the back of the van cracking each other up in a way only another little boy can understand.  I see my girls right behind me holding hands, always holding hands when they ride in the van.   I love listening to their silly, sometimes deep conversations with one another.  Of course it is not always this peaceful while we drive but for the most part they are pretty good riders. I think they are such high energy that often times to have them all strapped down helps me to appreciate them more. : )  But the other day as I glanced back, there it was glaring back at me.... the void.  Amidst all the kid laughter, small voices, and the hum of the van, there was a blaring absense. In the back seat of the van, between my two boys, there was an empty space. The place where our Ugandan son will be. I could visualize J there, laughing with them and joining in all the craziness that is a van full of children, our children.  I can't wait until the day when I look back and see every seat in our van occupied by a child, each one of them God knew would be there before time began .  Each one a wonderful testimony of the goodness and greatness of our God.