No-longer Orphans

Shew, what a crazy day.  Tired doesn’t really even describe the way I’m feeling.  It’s a good tired, though.  We officially no longer own our house on Labor Lane, and our new home is at least starting to come together.  This evening was by far the best part of the day though.

After closing on the house, Billy, Payton, and I raced to the airport, “Welcome Home” sign in hand, to greet some friends who were bringing home two daughters from Ethiopia.  We made it upstairs at the Louisville International Airport to see a huge crowd of people gathered, eagerly awaiting the moment when the Clark family would come into sight.  After months and months and months of waiting, they would now be heading to their house tonight as a family of eight. 

As we stood, chatting, waiting for the celebration, a soldier passed by and asked who was coming home.  I nearly choked as I told him “Two no-longer orphans from Ethiopia.”  No-longer orphans.  Do you get what a big deal that is?  These beautiful little girls were being raised in an orphanage with no mommy to tuck them in at night or kiss their boo-boos.  No Daddy to teach them how to throw a baseball or hold them up to see over a crowd.  No family to celebrate their birthdays.  Nobody to rejoice with them when they ace a test or win an award.  Nobody to cry with them when some other child is mean.   No grandparents to spoil them or to take a million pictures of them.  No family to go back to for Christmas or to share memories with when they grow up.  But NO LONGER, baby!!!!  They are no longer orphans, thank you, Jesus!  Now they have a hope for a wonderful future, but more than that they have a family to model for them the love of Christ. 

It was an emotional moment to say the least, when they walked through those gates- a pure picture of the gospel of Christ- we were all once lost, hopeless, without a name or future.  But God, in his rich mercy, sent Jesus to take the punishment for all our crap, better known as sin, and made a way for us to be adopted into His family.  Because I know and love and follow Jesus, I am a child of God.  As His child, my inheritance awaits me in eternal paradise where I will forever dwell in the very presence of the Almighty, Wonderful Father.  What a homecoming THAT will be! 

As I hugged my friend’s neck and congratulated her on her family’s latest additions, she told me how she spent a bit of her time in Ethiopia loving on my Ellie Claire.  If I was emotional when I first saw her family, I was pretty much a mess at this point.  There are days when it really seems like we will NEVER get to the point of our homecoming.  Multiple friends who started this process more than a year after us are already home or coming home soon with their kids.  We are thrilled for them, and honestly not the least bit resentful- we are just soooooo eager for that day for our family- We are extremely thankful to be one step closer this week, with the scheduling of our court date for May 2 (see previous blog :) ).

 It was really cool to see Payton witness the whole scene tonight and see what it would be like for us.  It was also pretty amazing to see her realize that the Clarks' new sisters were not babies, but children older than herself.  I would love to know what was going through her mind when she understood after a little talk today that these girls had been living in an orphanage, that they didn’t speak English, and that they were going to have to learn a whole new way of life.  I nearly sobbed again when tonight she prayed for the “Clark Sisters.”  A few weeks ago she announced that we should have as many sisters as we could take care of- and I think it’s pretty awesome that to her that doesn’t mean that Mommy would carry a bunch of babies (although we are not opposed to having biological babies- all babies are wonderful!) but that to her it means we would bring a whole gaggle of kids home who have no families elsewhere.  I am so thankful for how the Lord is molding her young heart to care for orphans and be compassionate to others.   I just cannot wait until she sees her baby sister face to face for the first time.  What a party we will have at the airport that day!

Until then, we wait, and pray, and trust that the Lord is still going with us and before us.  To Him be the glory!

“We wait in hope for the Lord;

He is our help and our shield.

In Him our hearts rejoice

For we trust in His holy name.

May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord,

Even as we put our hope in you.”

Psalm 33:20-22