Five days later we got the call. Knowing there was a caseworker on the other end of the phone, the three oldest children were gathered around waiting to hear if a child would be coming to our home. "We have a five day old infant being discharged from the NICU today. Will you take her?" I said yes, the kids cheered, and then we called the Good Doctor, "It's a baby girl!"
Today she turns 11 and knowing that our joy means another woman's grief is not forgotten by me. Does she think about her daughter? Does this day bring back memories? This is not as God intended. Our world is broken and lives are shattered every day. But if we are willing to be uncomfortable so that others are comfortable, the blessings far outweigh the trouble and chaos.
And so today we celebrate Hope because in the midst of brokenness, there is hope and a future. Her smile brings hope to everyone she meets. She tells me that when she is at track club, she encourages the girls who are discouraged. She is a shining light, a ray of hope. Just as God intended.
Being an adopted child, I often wonder about my biological family. Do my biological parents think of me (actually us, but that is for another time)? I wonder what they are like. I wonder, as the youngest of 4 and the only girl, how my life would have been different if Mom and Dad hadn't wanted a family. I am very thankful for my "first" parents who had me and made the decision to give me up, and to my Mom and Dad who loved me unconditionally all of their lives.
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