Adoption

Daily Gratitude Year 5-Day 60: Today, I am grateful for adoption. 

Yesterday, my college friends Jay and Jeanette, celebrated "Gotcha Day" with their daughter Lucy and friends at a Chinese restaurant. 

Adoption is such a blessing. The richness of the love born in the heart is no less than that of the womb. Fierce is a parent's love... however the child comes to their arms. How precious is a baby's life and the mother who gives up a child they cannot adequately care for is the most selfless kind of love on the planet. 

My friends, Kim and Melanie, taught me the wonder of parents who choose you. Harv and Faye rocked at that in a time people kept secrets, often not telling children until adulthood that they were adopted. 
What an opportunity missed! I am grateful adoption is different today.

Jeanette's post took me back several years to when our friends, the Moschel family, moved in next door. 

The Moschel's arrived with a pre-schooler, Stephanie was pregnant, and they had a sweet little baby boy they adopted through Lifelink from Korea. 

They had only recently taken the baby from the arms of the US soldier at O'Hare airport. The soldier, stationed in Korea heading home on leave, carried baby Grant home on his lap. The soldier met Blake and Stephanie at the airport. I love the story of the tall, gentle giant of a man who truly fell in love with Grant on the flight home as he cradled him in his arms... in transit to his forever family and new life. "Gotcha Day" is a celebration many keep annually in adoptive homes. 

My most favorite memory of the neighborhood getting to know the new neighbors came from the sweetest little girl, Melissa. Blake was out trimming bushes when Melissa wandered over from her yard next door. 

She asked, "Why doesn't Grant look like the rest of your family?" 

Now, Melissa was a kind, well-mannered child. Her question was pure in heart and out of childlike curiosity. 

Blake, in his mild mannered way, explained how the miracle of adoption brought Grant all the way from Korea to be their son in Morton, IL. 

This brought Melissa to pause and think it over. Then, she said the most profound thing:

"God much have a very special plan for Grant to bring him all the way from Korea to live in your family."

Out of the mouths of babes! And, she was right. They moved away quite a few years ago, but the neighborhood still misses them. What a great example of love adoption teaches us. 

I love this scripture: 

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God;believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” -John 14:1-4

Through Jesus... we have a forever home.
Through Jesus... we can know the Father.
Through Jesus... we have a new birthright.
Through Jesus... we have a hope and a destination. 

Jesus knew the love of an earthly father who shared in his birth, but not his exact DNA. Still, Jesus loved Joseph and learned his father's trade as a carpenter before beginning his ministry that led to the cross, resurrection, our redemption and adoption. 

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. -1 John 3:1

Family is born in the heart. When I worked, my children spent time at the Methodist family childcare center. I am so grateful they did. (Interesting note... Melissa went there, too.) The children and caregivers were a rich mix of race, culture, education and skin color. A beautiful mix. 

When we told Chase we were pregnant and having a baby, we asked what he wanted. He knew in an instant. "I want a brown sister." 

It was his idea of a perfect and beautiful addition to complete our family. It still makes me smile. He had no trouble loving Walker... a peach brother... but his eyes only saw beauty in differences. We are all children of God. 

Today, I am grateful for adoption.