My sister Carlee and my brother Emmett are the two bravest people I know, and I am going to tell you why. But first, some context. For those who haven’t already, I encourage you to read my post “My Family’s Adoption Journey…So Far.” It sums up the first ten months or so of our journey.
Read it now? Good. So here’s more of the story:
We had hoped to have our travel approval for us to go to China some time from April to June, but some of our paperwork was delayed. My parents ended up traveling in the end of June through the beginning of July. But just like the Lord, the timing couldn’t have been better. The timing worked so the family didn’t have a whole lot going on, so we were able to give all of our energy and attention to the new family members. My parents and grandmother went, and the trip went very well. There were no legal hiccups, and the behavioral problems in the kids were fairly manageable (especially when compared to other adoption stories we have heard). All the flights went smoothly, and my parents were able to enjoy their time touring and beginning to develop relationships with the kids.
So why do I say that Carlee and Emmett are the bravest people I know? Consider this: they have grown up in orphanages, and they had been in one orphanage for a while now. The people there sincerely cared for them, loved them, and nourished them the best they could. Then they get a package from a strange land, and in this package are little books with pictures of strangers. The kids’ caretakers then tell them that they will be going to live with these people forever. A few months later, after receiving more gifts supposedly from these white folks, they are taken away from their orphanage to these very same people!
The kids now stay overnight with these strangers in a place they have never seen. Then in the days to come they have to say goodbye to everything they know, the people who have cared for them, and get on a plane – another new experience – with the white people. They experience more new things while still in their country with the strangers. Then another plane ride takes them to a place completely unfamiliar.
Think of their courage and trust. All they have to go by is their caretakers’ reassurance that this is okay. And they went. Sure, it was hard for them. We have seen that. But they still went, and on pure trust and courage. Think of what we can learn from these children. We have also been adopted, but our father doesn’t fail like an earthly father. We have more reasons to trust than these children, but yet we allow our doubt to win over our faith. We should follow their example. Our faith should be child-like. Our trust in God should be near blind. He will always guide us. He will never let us down.
We Are Mirrors 