ADOPTED

Somewhere across the world a little girl beckons me.

Amma, she calls, I want you.

I see it in her picture, that yearning for the love she’s never had. The way she twists her hands as if to stop herself from reaching for that longing.

Afraid to hope, unsure of what she doesn’t know.

And I see it in the shyness of her eyes and that soft little smile. Calling me, wishing for all the love I can hardly wait to give.

As if... she knows.

As if... the Father has whispered secret stories of life to be.

As if... she’s not sure that all she hopes is true but maybe it is.

And maybe there really is a family full of love coming soon to bring her home.

In just a few weeks my son and daughter will fly across the world to meet this one they’ve prayed for, hoped for, wished for.

And this little girl who longs for love will be embraced by a family.

She’ll sit on her father’s lap and laugh into those startling blue eyes, run brown hands along the milky white of her mother’s skin.

She’ll see pictures of the boys who will be her brothers. Those little guys who will grow up to watch over her and protect her and tease her

and sometimes drive her crazy.

And she’ll hear about me... her Amma. And Pops and her cousin Duke and a baby girl coming soon and all the aunts and uncles and other cousins and a whole church full of more love than she’ll ever possibly be able to hold in her heart.

From nothing to so much.

Because this abandoned girl is going to be adopted into a family. Our family.

And she’ll step into a new life with a new name and a future of love that lasts forever... no matter what.

Slowly but surely her hands will untwist. Her smile will reach her eyes.

Over the months and years she’ll fill out and grow up and

be a woman well loved.

And all that love will come spilling beauty for all the world to see.

And maybe I already know this story. Because isn’t it mine?

Was I not that orphan girl aching for more?

Afraid to hope.

Wishing for something but not sure what. Bruised and abandoned and barely surviving in a world gone bad.

Wasn’t that me not so long ago?

And now I have a family who loves me.

Those ones I call my brothers and more sisters than I can count.

With all their embracive caring and helping and making sure I’m good and well and known and seen.

Those ones who love me no matter what.

And I have a new name too. And a future filled with all that hope of forever.

And most of all I have a Father.

One who sets me on His lap and listens.

Who tells me I am His. Who whispers what He wants for me to do and be.

Because He has plans for me.  Because He knows me. Because He loves me.

Long ago, even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes.

His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ.

And this gave Him great pleasure.

Ephesians 1:4,5

Someday soon a little girl is coming home to write her story here. And her story will show us ours.

I can hardly wait.

From my heart,

Amma