One of my favorite sayings is a line stolen from Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure (which hearkens back to my high school days): “Something’s afoot at the Circle K.” And ever since we announced our desire and intention to adopt not one, but two, children from Ethiopia, I’ve felt “something’s afoot.”

I have no doubt that we made the right choice, because this choice was confirmed through fasting and prayer. Even the manner in which the idea sort of fell into my husband’s lap at the same time I’d been considering it points to my Heavenly Father’s involvement in our taking this path. But Satan really seems to know how to hit me in my weak spots; one of those weak spots is my tendency to worry about parenting a big family, and another is worry over adoption “issues” that might spiral beyond my control.

So last week, when I noticed that Lulu seemed to be reverting to her old ways of daily “blow-ups,” after months of fairly calm seas, I felt myself start to panic a bit. Lulu raged, the other kids fought, our three-year-old started saying bizarre things about going back to China to be with her foster mother (she never had a foster mother but miraculously seems to have fantastic memories of one), and I started wondering what in the WORLD I was doing thinking I could be a good mom to two more kids – two more kids who will come to me with their own histories and adoption related issues. I started to despair.

Then I had an epiphany. ;) It’s just like Sunday Mayhem. I may not understand all the ways Satan influences us, but I’ve got his Sunday game plan figured out. Every Sunday morning when my husband gets up early and goes to his bishopric and ward counsel meetings, Satan unleashes Sunday Mayhem. He does everything he can to try to keep me from taking my kids to church. Shoes turn up missing, a child vomits with no explanation, fights break out, car keys disappear, a gallon of milk ends up all over the kitchen floor, the dog gets out and runs into the street, a comb gets stuck in the toilet and causes it to overflow. The plays are varied, but I’ve learned to recognize them and even prepare for them, and because of that, he can’t win. I’ve never once, NEVER ONCE, stayed home from church because of one of his sneaky plays, even though I’ve been tackled by some real doozeys.

I will not let him win.

So I admit, it took me a little while, but I figured out this latest plan of attack, too. We suddenly represent a much bigger blip on Satan’s radar screen, and he’s reaching deeper into his bag of tricks to try to thwart us. Now that I recognize what’s going on, I can take the tantrums and the fighting and the sudden delving into pre-adoption life by my younger kids. I’m a good mom. I’m supposed to be the mom to the kids I have, as well as the ones to come. I have my Heavenly Father as my coach, the scriptures as my playbook, AND the home court advantage.

I will not let him win.

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Please visit the Christian Adoption Blog, where my colleague Marie has been similarly defending herself with the Lord’s help!

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