Adoption: Pictures of Their Beginning

“Send photos of you on the day your children were born” was the request made by the media pastor of our church. He was putting together a video montage for the Mother’s Day service. Then during the service, the children would be brought up on stage and sing “The Best Day of My Life” with the slide show being displayed in the background of all of the “first” pictures.

I have some pictures to send: three to be exact. Pictures of three separate days I was chubby, tired and sore but over the moon about the newest child I had given birth to! But I have 5 children. Something is amiss. The youngest two had “birth dates”. I assume their birth mom was the same: chubby, tired and sore but over the moon about the birth of her newest child. I wasn’t there and yet I now receive the honored title of “mom” to these two precious children.

I have been overwhelmed, stressed and pulling out my hair lately with everyday activities that have not been going well with these two kiddos. But upon considering the request of my Pastor, I found myself weepy and sentimental. These two had beginnings that I was not a part of. Were they born with full heads of hair? Were they good sleepers? Whose features did they inherit? All big huge “I don’t know’s” and I never will.

So, on Mother’s Day these most deep rooted, mixed emotions were resting right below the surface of my heart. Am I a good mom? Am I doing a good enough job? Do I really deserve to be recognized today knowing all of my shortcomings… especially with my two adopted kiddos? The answer came in a worship song…

[Verse 2:]
Who brings our chaos back into order
Who makes the orphan a son and daughter
The King of Glory, the King of Glory

[Chorus:]
This is amazing grace
This is unfailing love
That You would take my place
That You would bear my cross
You lay down Your life
That I would be set free
Oh, Jesus, I sing for
All that You've done for me

(Lyrics from “This Is Amazing Grace by Phil Wickham)

These two children had a beginning with us. I was not wearing a hospital gown like all of the other pictures. There was no pomp and circumstance but we had a beginning. They were scared and unsure of what was happening (truthfully, we were too). It was awkward and felt strange. We are not even sure of what they were told: about their birth family, about us, about what was going to happen. But they were handed over to us and we opened our hearts and home to them. It was a new “birth”, a new beginning for all of us.

We don’t always know the answers or have the right way to handle things that come up on a daily basis. But what a JOY to be reminded: it isn’t all left for us to figure out… we can trust God to make the orphans a SON and a DAUGHTER as only HE can!!