Saying Goodbye .... to 2007!

Wow!, what a year! We have been stretched more this year than probably any other single year thus far of our journey here on earth. It's only by God's goodness and grace that we have made it through the valleys and mountain-top moments this year!

Tomorrow not only marks the first day of a new year, but also our daughter's third birthday! It's hard to believe that nearly three years ago we got that life-changing email ...... "a little African American girl ... born with a heart defect ... having open heart surgery today". I will never forget the exact moment of receiving that information. While it was much different in many ways than we had anticipated (we were not expecting the health issues) .... we knew for SURE, this was the child God had led us to nine months prior. We had the absolute privilege of praying for our precious Naomi all throughout her open-heart surgery. By evening we received word that she made it through and was stable and to get on a plane headed for Houston! We had to adjust travel plans, as with her hospital stay, I'd need to go alone and be with her until closer to the time she could come home. So three flights later, the last of which was in a terrible storm and I was certain I was not going to land properly! ...... I landed in TX. Unfortunately I had to wait til the next morning to get to the hospital.

I will always treasure the first moment I laid eyes on our precious daughter. While she was still on a breathing machine, dialysis and umpteen other tubes and wires ..... I saw those big brown eyes and it took my breath away. My heart crumbled as the realization of her aloneness sunk in. At that moment it no longer mattered to me who understood or supported our adoption. What I knew was that a woman that I would never have the privilege of meeting made the courageous decision to give this little girl the gift of LIFE. In our culture today, that should never be minimized. And now it was up to us to be her family. People have said how lucky she is to have a family .... while they mean well, they have it all wrong. Every child deserves a family. Through Naomi's life, we have understood in such a greater depth of just how much God loves us. His love for us is not based on what we have to give ... His love is a free gift, a complete gift ... the only thing that really satisfies the soul.

Do you know His love? .... do you know Him as your father? .... I cannot think of a better way to start off the new year than accept His free and perfect gift.

Tomorrow our 'lil spunky Texan babe will open up her birthday presents. And we will enjoy PINK cake (her request). No doubt our hearts and minds will be often drifting half a world away as we anxiously await news of our other 'lil babe that we have yet to meet. Our hearts are just overflowing with joy as we wait .... yet the journey of adoption is terribly bittersweet. To be adopted, means you have experienced great loss. But we'll save those thoughts for another post. Tonight we give God great THANKS for all He's done for us in 2007!