Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Happy Birthday Leah Joy

Sweet baby girl entered our family through adoption a year ago...her life changed ours and brought us to the realization that this life is not about us.  It is all about The Gospel and it is all about Jesus.  What a precious gift she has been to our family.  I honestly can't believe that she is a year old and that an entire year has come and gone.  I remember every step of the journey as though it were yesterday.  I recall so many of the sweet details that constantly put me in awe of God.  I remember the oh so overwhelming emotions that preceded every step we took and caused me to lean hard into Him; and now as I look back over the last year of our lives, I can't even imagine life without this little girl.

I couldn't help but wonder the week of her birthday what was going through the minds and hearts of her birth family.  I couldn't help but wonder what kinds of questions she will  have as she gets older and tries to understand exactly how she ended up as a part of our family (let's face it, she doesn't look exactly like us).  People often ask if we fear the questions she'll have or are we afraid of her wanting a relationship with her birth family and I can honestly say, those things don't scare us.  We feel 100% secure in what the Father did in knitting our family together and we know His Sovereign will is perfect.  I pray that Madie, Hannah and Leah will be able to understand our adoption in Christ at an early age very clearly since they have witnessed an earthly example.  I pray their lives are marked by a desire to point with all that they have to Christ.  I so desire to see the Lord knit their hearts together in a way that nothing can cause dissension or separation.  It has blown my mind to watch how God just gave Leah to our family as though it was nothing out of the ordinary and our family and friends have not skipped a beat to ensure she is seen as just that...a part of our family.

I am so thankful...what if her birth mother had not chosen life, what if her birth family had not chosen adoption for selfish reasons, what if we had not checked our email that morning, what if we had missed a phone call, what if, what if, what if...But God in His Sovereign will saw fit...so I am thankful!

Sweet Leah Joy, what a joy it is to be your mother.  The Lord gave me the humble privilege to call you my daughter and for that I will always be grateful.  You are a bundle of energetic delight and I so enjoy hearing your babbles, chuckles, and squeals.  Hearing you call me "momma" is one of the greatest blessings I'll ever know.  You make us laugh with your new found skills and sounds and you help us to remain thankful as we watch you grow.  You will always be a beautiful reminder of God's love for us because your adoption is a reminder of how Christ made a way for us to be grafted in as children of the ONE TRUE GOD.  You are such a gift to us and I pray you will grow up knowing how deeply loved you are.  You are loved little one, you are wanted, and you are a gift.  May you walk in confidence knowing that!

Happy Birthday Sweet Leah Joy! We love you so dearly.