For Real

Well, hello again!  It's been quite a while since I last posted and I think that's just going to be my style.  I guess I'll blog when I have something to say.  Here's a little bit of an update.  My daughter Grace sees specialists at Cardinal Glennon every few months.  Frequently when we go to the appointments we wait quite a while in the waiting room.  Last time we waited much longer than we expected.  We waited and waited and waited in the waiting room until I thought they had somehow skipped passed her name.  I checked with the receptionist to verify we were still on the list of patients and we continued to wait.  Finally, they called her name and I felt a glimmer of hope that we might beat rush hour traffic.  No such luck.  It was really just a tease.  We started the waiting game over again in the little examining room.  By this point, I was getting frustrated.  We waited and waited and finally the door swung open...again, just teasing me.  It was the medical student there to examine her before the actual doctor came in.  He proceeded to examine her and left us to wait some more.  International adoption feels much like this waiting room scene.  When we started this process we had an idea what the time frame would look like.  We are going to be in the waiting room longer than we expected.  Most of the time, I'm at peace with that.  Most of the time I trust that God's got this one.  Most of the time I'm content with waiting.  Sometimes I'm not.  Sometimes my heart longs so much to bring that sweet child home and love on him.  Sometimes my arms ache to hold this child I've never even met.

Even in the waiting room, good things are happening in our family.  On Sunday, May 15, both of our daughters were adopted!  Now before you start thinking we've lost our minds, let me explain.  They both made the decision to accept Jesus into their hearts and give their lives to Him.  They are now a part of the family of God!  God is the author of adoption.  Since my girls have accepted Him, He calls them His "own."  They are HIS!  Amazing!  Nothing could give my heart more joy.  Nothing.  Grace took the time to write out the prayer she wanted to say and asked me to "save it for Oliver and our other brother for when they want to ask Jesus into their hearts."  Beautiful!  You see, when adoption takes place it is "for real."  My heart truly breaks when I hear/see instances where having biological children is considered more noteworthy than adopting.  Peeps, when my girls said "Yes" to Jesus on Sunday evening, they were adopted and it was for real!  I'm so thankful Christ doesn't have a category for his "own" kids and his "adopted" kids.  If you're a believer and part of God's family, I'm sure you're thankful too. 

Romans 8:14-17

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.  And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”  The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.