I have so many questions that may never find their answers. I have missed so many moments in this little boys life that I can not recuperate. The natural connection that a mother has to her child is being built instead of naturally existing. Adoption is not natural. It is not what I thought it would be. And yet, it is so much more.
The first time that we met Jonathan he was a trembling little boy clinging to his care giver and burrowing his face into her shoulder. Even though he was only a few weeks shy of 3 years old his little soul knew something huge was on the horizon. He was taken back outside to the patio to calm down. Micah went outside to peek in on his new little brother. He slowly walked over to this innocently fear filled child and reached out. Together they sat down on the pavement and played with a toy car that we had mailed to Jonathan the week before. They sat together and built trust in the form of simple play.
As time ticked by we slowly inched our way closer to the two playing boys. My youngest son was the bridge to my new youngest son. It was beautiful and amazing all wrapped up in a few flittering moments. And that was how it began.
Adoption is not at all what I thought it would be. It is harder. It is uglier. It is raw and unguarded. It is nothing that I thought it would be and more amazing than I could have ever imagined. It is more rewarding. It is more fulfilling. It is more life changing. Adoption is life altering.
Joseph was an adoptive father in scripture. He raised a baby who was not his own. He spent time with Jesus in his wood shop teaching him his trade. He shared his love of creating with the son of the creator of the universe. I now have new respect for Joseph. He took a chance. He chose to love. He welcomed a child who was not his own, into his life and into his heart.
As we approach the Christmas season my heart finds new glimmers of inspiration and joy. Jesus knew what it was to be adopted. Joseph knew what it was to choose to love. Psalm 27:10 says, "Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me." Adoption is all through scripture and Christmas is the pinnacle moment where it all begins to unfold. We see the sweet innocent baby in a manger who is being sheltered and cared for by his adoptive father Joseph. This innocent baby, the Christ Child, then grows up and saves the world. Jesus bridges the gap between a sinful human race and a perfect heavenly father. Jesus made the adoption possible. He made a way for us to be adopted into God's family.
As we get ready to celebrate our first Christmas together as a family of 6 we are priveledged to a new insight into what it means to be adopted into the family of God. We are chosen by God. We are loved not because we did something worthy of love, but because God chose to love us. And just as Jonathan is a delight to us even on the difficult days, we too are a delight to our heavenly father no matter what type of day we are having. The Christ child who himself was adopted, came into the world so that we could all be adopted into the family of God. Let us enter into the season of Christmas knowing that baby Jesus is just the beginning of the world's greatest adoption story.
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