We're waiting.........
Last weekend we had the incredible opportunity to meet with the social worker in South Africa who we will be working with. This woman is an incredible advocate for children. She is knowledgeable about childhood development and the unique challenges that come with adoption. She told us about the baby homes and how children are cared for and families selected. I had been praying that God would affirm our decision to embark down this, what often seems crazy, path and my prayers were answered. A renewed sense of excitement is rising.
As we sat and listened I realized that this woman sitting before us will know our next child before we do. In fact, she may already know him or her. She will likely have the opportunity to hold, photograph, delight in our child before we know of them. I am confounded yet again with a confusing mixture of joy and sadness. An experience I have found to be common in the process of adoption. Joy in that our son or daughter will be well cared for, loved, delighted in while they await our arrival. Sadness that I will not be there to delight in those early squeaks and gassy smiles that we endlessy video taped J doing. While we shared all of J's early milestones, we will miss many of those of our second child. They will be "known" before we meet them.
The process of discussing adoption with Jake has been filled with "aha" moments for myself. I find myself constantly trying to simplify what I view as a highly complex process. And yet, while there are many layers of complexity in the process of adoption from administration and government regulations to attachment and transracial parenting, perhaps the deepest root of the matter is, in fact, not all that complex. We read a couple stories from the library at bedtime today. One titled "God Gave Us You" about a little bear wanting to know where they came from. In this story God gave the Mama bear the baby bear in her tummy. The second "God Found Us You" a story about a Mama Fox who waited and waited until God found her the perfect little fox to join her family. Both stories of families. Stories of how God provides children to families. Different yet similar. In both cases God knew the children before they met their mamas. He selected the little ones especially for their mamas. They just arrived in different ways. A simple explanation, yet resounding with truth. Yes, my little one in Africa, you will be known before we meet you, but first and foremost by the same God who also met your big brother first.
We can't wait to find out who He is finding for us.
