Tuesday finds us one day closer to the 4 arms and 2 wiggling bodies that I can't wait to hold (yes you Abby and Jiji).
Being here at the White Swan gives me a glimpse at how wonderful our God's works are in this world. Leading up to this trip we felt that it was our journey and that it would be so unique, so specifically beautiful and special. Well, it is all of those and so much more, but this place brings to reality that our truth is also true for so many other families. I have heard on this trip and on the last that God builds families in so many ways and now 3 years after bringing Jiji home from this same place I know this statement is is truer than I could have ever imagined.
Just as I talked earlier of the beauty of the country and people of China, there is another beauty that is all around me right here in this hotel. It is the beauty of watching these families grow out of obedience to God's plan for them. If you have never considered adoption, you may not be able to fully understand what I mean. Some people are blessed with the ability to feel the growth of a child within them over the course of a regular pregnancy, others will choose to grow their families through various means of adoption, and still others will choose to never have a child in their family. We all have our reasons for wanting our families to be what they are. We each find our joys, sorrows, possibilities as we mature down our chosen paths. However, here in this hotel I am confronted daily by the richness, satisfaction, uncertainty, generosity, kindness, and selflessness of the families that I have encountered.
To say that they are all the same would be not understading the uniqueness of each of us as humans. They come from all different backgrounds. Rich, not so rich, married, single, they come from almost every country on the earth and all have the same respect for the treasure that they have been given. I have met people from Belgium that have had to wait 4 years to hold their children. I have met a family that has adopted 3 children with cleft pallets, and I met today a father who just adopted his first child into his already family of 8 children and is so excited for this newest addition. The saying, "it takes all kinds" comes to mind, but that is not truly the case.
There is another saying in the world of Chinese adoptions that says that we are all joined by a red thread that runs though our lives and connects us to each others destiny. Well, being one who has now adopted 2 wonderful Chinese daughters, I believe that this is truer than many of us will ever know. Each of these families has a wonderful story of the reason for their adoption, the hopes and dreams they have for their family, and how they feel about their new daughter or son. I wish that I had enough time to hear them all, I have no doubt they they would be heartfelt and inspiring. But I also believe that they would each have some of the same qualities and characteristics. Such as the love of life and of family, a great hope for the future, and the courage to do things that others would look at in wonder.
However, if you were on this side, you would wonder how you could not have done this thing. The peace, the joy, the journey to give these wonderful children a forever home, is just a small thing compared to the smiles, the laughter, the joy and the love that they pour out upon you and upon all that they meet.
Soon many of you will meet Cece, our latest miracle from God. We hope that you will see with wonderment the beauty and life that she is to us. And we hope too that you can see the love and thanks that we have for all of you who are attached to our daughter's red thread. We are continuously blessed by each of you.
May this day be full of joy, peace, love and life for each of you and for all who you love.
God bless you all,
Rich
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