A YEAR!?!?!!?

I can't even believe it. A year ago this week we left to bring Ellie home. Matt & I look at her and marvel. She is SOOOO our daughter. In every way except matching DNA! She's ADDICTED to shoes and dollies and her daddy. She is the first person the boys run to hug when they walk in the door from school. She's the cheery voice calling from her crib every morning - mommy...daddy...mommy...daddy...daddy...DADDY (he usually cracks & moves first!). We can't imagine our lives without her.....

I can't help but think "what if."

I know we're not supposed to focus on the "what if's" in life. But I disagree ADAMANTLY when that comes to adoption. Because I don't see it from MY point of view...I see it from Ellie's. Oh my life would have been sorely lacking without her in it - but I would've survived. I would've had a wonderful husband and 4 fabulous boys to tell me every day how special I am to them....how important...how loved.

But not Ellie.

What would her life have been like if she didn't have someone telling her everyday how beautiful and precious she is? How loved and valued? I can't even imagine the situation her birth family was in to know that her life in an orphanage would be better than with a family that loves her....it's possible they'd heard about children being adopted into families that could care for them. But with 5 million orphans and only 2000 a year being adopted....it's unlikely she'd get that opportunity.

The Shaw family (they were in our travel group) shared on their blog - shawfamilyexpansion.blogspot.com - what their 5 year old's bedtime prayer was last night:

I love Winnie's prayers. Sometimes, they consist of "thank you for the light, thank you for the ceiling fan, thank you for the door knob." Tonight, it was sincere, "Dear God, Thank you for my food. thank you that my mom and dad came to get me."

I still cry great big fat alligator tears of joy with each adoption story I read. Another life has been redeemed! Ripped from the one who sets out to destroy. I know God doesn't call everyone to adopt, but He does call us to care for widows and orphans in their distress!

Please please please won't you prayerfully consider what God is calling YOU to do for His dearly loved widows & orphans?