Reflections

At the end of this week we will cross the 3 month mark for arriving home with our precious son. As I sit and reflect today on all that God has been teaching me through this adoption, many things come to mind with so many mixed feelings. My heart is full of emotions I guess it is kind of like after pregnancy when all you hormones are changing. Waiting through the process, all the papers, all the forms, all the fundraising and the long physical journey to China was exhausting and challenging but it taught us to have lots of patience which we would need on the other side when we got home. During that long wait (5 years praying) and another year in the process God also builds a love that goes so deep for a child you have never met. It is hard to explain but that love is built day by day while you wait and wait developing again a deep love to carry you through the transition home. Then all of a sudden all you had dreamed of is in your arms and he doesn't understand a word you are saying and looks in your eyes searching for what is to come. We were blessed with smiles when we met but it is not always that way. Our son has done extremely well transitioning but it has also been hard. I think many on the outside think that when you bring an older child home they will just blend right in and life goes on. In ways that does happen but there is also so much more. Just the normal things of adding a new child to the family takes place even when they are older but there is so much more to learn. How does a family work, language, love, respect and how to interact with others plus all the past history that you don’t know about that can influence so many current situations. These things take so much time and struggle to grow through. Normally as an infant so much of this is learned gradually as you age but for us it is like having a toddler in a 7 year old body going through developmental stages each week. This is very challenging but yet so beautiful at the same time. It is amazing to watch God work and teach and grow in such huge leaps in such a short amount of time. I hear often that adoption is not for the weary. Many times it is said in the waiting period but God uses that time for preparing for what is ahead. Just as raising any child is hard and at the same time the most amazing journey so is adoption. Watching God graft a child into a family and teach them about His love is one of the most incredible gifts I have been given. I am so thankful for those who have stuck by us when we returned trying to be there and understand what is still hard for us to understand at times. I pray they will also glean from God’s blessing on this incredible journey. We are so thankful for each day He has given us together as a family.