Leigh and I are officially off work for the next few days to celebrate Christmas. I’m anticipating fun times with family and being able to reflect on how God came to earth to meet us face to face, in human flesh, in the person of Jesus. This Christmas is different though. All the Christmas shopping is done, and I finally had time to slow down and think.
As I was driving home today on Christmas Eve, I started to realize that there is a high likelihood that my son or daughter is alive in the world, and celebrating Christmas without us. My heart sank in my chest. As we’re about to embark on opening tons of gifts, eating lots of food and being surrounded by all sorts of excitement, there is a high probability that our son or daughter is in another country celebrating Christmas without us. I started thinking about all the things I’m getting for Christmas (or at least I think I am ;-)). Then I started to wonder what he or she is getting. Will my child be getting a mosquito net to protect him or her from malaria? Will they be getting a Samaritans purse shoebox that so many people so generously donated? Only God knows the answers to these questions, but the one thing I can’t stop thinking of is how I eagerly wait and long to see my child and shower them with gifts and love during Christmas time (and all year), yet someone else is doing that for them this year. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m extremely thankful that someone is momentarily taking care of my child, but I oh how I wish it were us.
I then started to think about God, and how He longs to care for His children just the way I have this longing to care for mine. I can’t help but get emotional as I think about His love for me as He eagerly awaits to come back to get me and finalize my adoption to Him. I also realize that my child has no clue what it will be like that day, just as I (even though I sometimes think I know) have no ability to imagine the intensity and love that will be poured out on the day Jesus takes me home with Him.
We’re overwhelmed with excitement in the adoption process, but we’re also yearning to meet our child and have our first Christmas together, to celebrate Jesus’s birth and our bridge way into God’s family.
Your support continues to amaze and pour out grace over our lives! If you come across this and have a second, please join us in praying for our son or daughter, wherever they are, as they’re celebrating the birth of Jesus!
Merry Christmas from our family to yours!