overwhelmed

The love just keeps pouring in.

A surprise 'party'.

A gift card.

A photo album.

A 'Gotcha Day' picture frame.

A travel journal.

A super-soft, personalized blanket.

A sock monkey.

A 'Gotcha Day' plate.

A card.

A little note.

A handmade quilt with hand stitched embroidery of Jeremiah 29:11 on it.

His first bath towel and set of bath toys complete with a rubber ducky.

D.I.A.P.E.R.S (thank you, Jesus).

Intimate little gatherings to celebrate with us and pray over us.  Huge.

And our first frozen meal is already in our freezer!

Payton has even received gifts as she prepares for her trot around the globe!  Journals, MadLibs, chewing gum, toiletry bags (full of travel-size toiletries!), iTunes gift card so she can load up her iPod -- even a hand-me-down, hand-me-down KINDLE.  Yes, you read that right.  I know.  Beyond-beyond.

Every time I turn around, someone else is doing something to express their love and support of us as we get ready to bring James home.  The true excitement that our friends and family feel for us is palpable.

How do I process a love like this?  It's simple.

When I'm struck with the knowledge of how undeserving we are of such kindness and goodness, I remember that this is the love of Christ.

We don't deserve it, but He loves us anyways.

This is how He expresses His love for us.

This is what He does -- He uses His people here on Earth to be His hands and feet.  To reach out (literally).  To hug, to embrace, to provide for, to rally around, to support, to love.

This is how He moves in people's lives.  Through other people.

Oh, how easy it would be to miss it.  How easy it would be to claim people's niceties as just that: hollow, lacking, un-genuine acts or platitudes.  But it's more than that.  When people are just trying to be nice, the recipient doesn't feel a warmth behind their actions.  They feel a cool, empty action with no heart behind it!  These actions are warm.  They exude love.  They are love.

And for that we're so, so very grateful.

Y'all have no idea.