All My Girls!

I serve an amazing God who loves to bless me!  Today I cried great face soaking tears of rejoicing...after I dropped all the kids off at all their respective locations so I was all alone in my SUV leaving all the other drivers who saw me wondering what was wrong with that lady.

While pursuing Keziah's adoption in 2008, we reviewed the referral files of three other girls.  Though none of these girls were our daughters, I still fell in love with each one and have continued to pray for each and for their families.

The first little girl was our inspiration child.  We found her so early in our paperchase (cuz we always had to restart from scratch since we'd been working on it for two years at that point) that we couldn't even ask to adopt her until we completed more paperwork.  All four of our kids knew about her and prayed for her, but we also all knew that another family might be matched with her before we could request to be considered as her family.  Thankfully, she was quickly matched!  We rejoiced for her and thanked God for her as the driving force that first month when we did a whirlwind of paperwork.  Still...I always wondered what happened. 

Cruising through my favorite adoption cyber hangouts one day, I found her family's website on their Gotcha Day!  I cried tears of joy that day.  She had a family.  She had a home.  I've continued to follow their blog periodically and love knowing that she is happy and loved.  There is such an incredible peace because I know without a doubt that this is HER family...not us.

The second sweetheart's file we reviewed over Mother's Day weekend 2008.  We spent the whole weekend pondering and discussing this little one.  I sought the wise counsel of some friends.  We had developed a plan to meet her needs.  We contemplated the impact on our entire family.  In my heart, this was my daughter.  I cared so deeply for her.  But...we never had a complete peace about bringing her home.  I cried and cried that weekend.  It was the hardest parenting choice we had ever made when we called our agency on Monday morning to say "No" to her.  Leaving her behind in China ripped my heart in two.

Okay, would you believe that it happened again?  On her family's Gotcha Day, I accidentally wandered onto their website.  I looked at their posted referral photos and couldn't believe my eyes.  This was my girl!  She had a family!  She had a home!  Cried again that day.  God was so good to let me know that He had taken care of her too.  I have continued to be blessed because her mom and I email periodically.  Plus I get to check up on her on their website too.  Peace and joy barely express knowing that she too is with HER family.

So then there was the third girl.  We reviewed her file over Memorial Day weekend 2008.  Another holiday weekend where we spent our time in emotional turmoil over whether or not this precious child was our daugher or not.  Another weekend filled with tears as I cried for another sweet little girl who we would leave behind in China, never to know if she ever had a home and a family.

It was Father's Day weekend when we had finally reviewed Keziah's file and waited for word as to whether or not China would let us officially request to adopt her (paperwork stuff again).  I have no idea why God had all our girls linked to holiday weekends.  Maybe it was so I would never forget, so every year I remember my girls.

Okay, flash forward now to today...June 14, 2010.  I was back on my computer reviewing the photo albums of a Yahoo group linked to Hadassah's orphanage.  Someone had listed albums that had photos from inside the orphanage so I was looking through all the pictures and all the faces to see if I saw Hadassah.  As I flipped through the alphabetically listing of all the ablums, a photo caught my eye.  I knew that little girl!  It was the referral photo from the third girl!  She has a family!

It appears that she was matched with her family in January.  I don't even know if they have completed their adoption or if she is home yet.  But I am still just thrilled to know that she has a family, HER family.

I did not even remember what orphanage she was at.  I had no idea that she has been living with my Hadassah this whole time.  My two girls have been together.

So I cried a flood of tears again today.  What a God!  Thousands of Chinese children from thousands of ophanages scattered across such a vast nation are adopted into thousands of families around the world each year.  Still my God has allowed me the priviledge of knowing that He cares deeply about all my girls.  He keeps letting me know that they are loved and taken care of by their special families.  A sparrow doesn't fall from the sky that my God doesn't know and care about, and He also cares about my girls. 

Thank you, Lord, for loving me and all my kids...near and far.  Thank you for helping me trust you more each day because I know that my precious Hadassah is in Your care.