Privilege

A friend of mine posted the above picture on facebook this past week. Quite a profound statement, isn't it? It perfectly sums up the feelings that have been mulling around in my brain and heart these past few months.

When I think about this journey that we are on, I have such a jumbled up mess of emotions that I cannot explain to anyone should they ask. "The depth of the tragedy" is something that I cannot comprehend. I have found myself wondering a lot lately about all the sadness our daughter has had to face in her lifetime. As I sit rocking my sweet baby to sleep, and as I tuck my "big" girls in after giving them countless hugs and kisses, I have had an underlying sadness for our daughter half a world away. She has had to go without hugs and kisses from her mother day after day, year after year. How incredibly tragic. Can you imagine your precious child going without? I have thanked the Lord over and over again for placing my 4 precious biological children in our care, so that they will know love. I am overwhelmed by the thought of trying to undo the years our teenage daughter has gone without the love of a family.

At the same time, I completely feel "the magnitude of the privilege. It still seems surreal to me that the Lord has found Ryan and me fit to be this sweet girls parents. I mean, really!!! What a HUGE blessing and honor to get to shower her with love. While the thoughts of trying to erase...or at least dull... the hurts of her past are mind boggling, I am eternally grateful to be the one that she calls Mama. How lucky am I, that I get to show her how a "real" Mommy loves her babies??

I cannot begin to tell you how in awe I am of how the Lord is working in the hearts of so many dear families around me. Since starting down this adoption path, we have been so encouraged by seeing other families step up and say yes to the Lord's call to care for orphans. I cannot imagine all of the blessings we would have missed out on had we simply walked away and said no to adopting our daughter. Just in these few short months, our eyes have been opened and hearts connected to so many families that have sacrificed so much to welcome children into their families. It makes what we are doing seem so small! I saw this quote on facebook today (who knew facebook was such a good thing!:))

Pretty great quote! Adoption is a calling, without question. And I don't believe that every single family out there is called to adopt. However, I strongly believe that everyone is called to do something. We have been beyond blessed by all of the prayers and support we have received. I would encourage you to stop, think, and pray about what the Lord is calling YOU to do for the cause of the orphan!

*A quick update....we are 2 1/2 weeks out from leaving for Ukraine!! Please continue to pray for us as we prepare to travel for an unspecified length of time, and for our 4 precious treasures that we are leaving behind!!