Lessons learned through the journey

As we prepare to gaze upon our precious daughter in just two days, I can't help but reflect on what this journey to adopt her has taught me. About two years ago, I was dreaming of having a daughter to "complete" our family, and fit it into the mold that I had always dreamed our family would look like. When Kris decided we should adopt in November of 2011, that mold changed. As I shared in one of my first posts, he said "I want to fill up a whole van load of kids!" He felt called to adopt, not simply to add one daughter to our family. As time has passed, as home study, immigration, dossier, logging in, finding Anna Faith, being approved, and going through two more months of immigration and approvals again, I've seen things in a different light. I see Anna Faith not just as "My Girl" that I'm finally getting, but a child, an orphan in a desperate state without hope or a future, with little or no chance to ever hear the Gospel, a precious creation made in the image of God who has no concept of family, belonging, or purpose, a human being who was chosen by God to be a beacon to those around us in our corner of the world to be a living display of the Gospel of Christ. She is more than my first daughter in all of theses ways. If she had been a boy, would I have been this excited? I have to say that at the beginning of this journey, my answer would have been no. I couldn't wait to have a daughter! But now, after all God has brought us through, in all the ways He's displayed His provision, sovereignty, and mercy towards my child, I can honestly say it wouldn't matter. The Gospel is shining forth through my daughter's adoption story, a picture of God's redemption, rescue, and grafting into His family with an abundant inheritance. What a future we believers in Christ have as adopted sons and daughters in God's family! Boy or girl, the joy of fulfilling this calling to adopt and demonstrate that wonderful adoption life picture fills my heart!