October 6, 2012...A day that will be etched in my memory forever. A truly beautiful day. The day when our dear friends, the Starrs, brought home their precious Ethiopian daughter. We started this similar journey separately nearly 3 years ago before we even knew each other. We live about 2 miles apart, go to the same church, both homeschool, and our children are friends...all great blessings. But to go through this journey of Ethiopian adoption together (even though our timelines and agencies are different) has been an unexpected and wonderful blessing from God.
Seeing them complete this part of the journey to the homecoming day alone would make this day completely incredible. But God did even more. After nearly 2 years of reluctance, God is moving Isaiah's heart towards his little sister who is still a world away. Watching his friends experience the beauty of adding to their family through adoption has been a key factor, I believe, in helping him process through what will soon be happening in our own little family. For this, I am truly grateful to God.
And there is more....God is so good! I have been really nervous about how I would handle yesterday. I was nervous about my fragile emotions and really wanting to be truly happy for our friends, without being super sad about our own delays in bringing home our daughter, or frustrated that we have to keep waiting with even more delays. Yesterday morning began with reading these words from Isaiah 52:7:
"How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "Your God reigns!"
I truly believe that God gave those words to me yesterday to lighten my heart and bring great peace and joy over the day. I felt God's presence wash over me in a way I can't really describe. I am so grateful!! I felt his true peace and joy the entire day long and was released from any feeling of self-pity or sadness.
Praise the LORD!
Here's a photo recap of this beautiful evening.
Waiting for her Mommy, Daddy and baby sister. She sat this way for probably close to 15 minutes or more.
LOVE this one. Siblings immediately.
Our precious son watching and taking it all in.
So happy to be home at long last!!
Family portrait....all together...finally!!
Thank you God for a most beautiful day. And in Isaiah's words as we were leaving the airport last night, "Mom, Dad....this was.......GOOD."
Amen.
