This first week of the New Year, many of us will wake up to the invigorating freshness that a new year inevitably brings.
Renewed commitments.
Fresh starts.
New beginnings.
We’ll get clean slates to change the stories we didn’t write as well as we wanted in 2016, and we’ll get more chances to rewrite those spiritual and physical and relational story endings that concluded in less than ideal terms in 2016.
But today, as those around her celebrate new beginnings, Joy will wake up to the same old story.
The orphan story.
And after two and a half weeks of loving this precious, perfect child, I can hardly even handle the pain of that word associated with her status.
Orphan.
But friends, that’s the real, raw, hard-to-swallow truth.
This beautiful girl who has just THRIVED in the context of one crazy, chaotic, coffee-fueled family — who has jumped HEAD FIRST into trampoline-jumping, Nerf gun-shooting, boy-wrestling, road-tripping, Lego-building, dog-snuggling life — she’s not a visitor with a family eagerly awaiting her return.
She is an orphan. Abandoned at age 4. Just waiting for a family to love.
She has less than two weeks left in our home to change that status. Less than two more weeks to change that story.
Although she has until age 14 to find a forever family in the Chinese international adoption system, her time HERE — the place where 75 to 85 percent of hosted children find their forever families — is coming to a close.
There’s not much time left. And this sweet girl NEEDS a home.
It doesn’t take perfect people to make perfect families for superheroes-in-waiting; it takes the PERFECT LOVE of a PERFECT GOD poured out through the imperfect hands of AVAILABLE PEOPLE.
People who can see in Joy’s eyes what WE see.
A future superhero.
An angel in disguise.
A girl who GIVES FAR MORE than ANY one family could EVER receive.
Pure joy.
Pure compassion.
Pure LOVE.
This angel — she DESERVES a family. She DESERVES a home. She DESERVES a life outside the four walls of an orphanage.
She deserves unconditional love.
Maybe you’ve seen Joy’s pictures. Maybe her eyes have reached a place deep in your soul. Maybe God has pricked your heart in a way it has never been pricked before.
Maybe, just maybe, God has called YOU to be Joy’s forever family.
But you’re clueless.
You’re scared.
You’re terrified.
You have no idea what you will do with a Chinese-speaking child with Down syndrome in your home.
And you don’t know if you’re willing to jump into what will surely be a completely rearranged life.
I’ll be honest with you — from one adoptive parent to another, adoption is no easy road. It’s no walk in the park. It’s no “easy” life.
But it’s a MEANINGFUL one.
It’s a REWARDING one.
It’s a life FAR RICHER than any other life we could have ever chosen to live.
There is NOTHING more fulfilling than getting the PRIVILEGE of playing some small part in God’s redemption story of HIS perfect, precious children.
And what you’ll do with Joy in your home?
Receive more hugs and kisses than you’ve ever had in your lifetime.
Laugh constantly at the antics of this girl with the vibrant personality, the hysterical sense of humor and the strong opinions that allow her to HOLD HER OWN.
Feel MORE LOVED than you’ve ever been.
Live a life RICHER than you have ever known.
This New Year, don’t let FEAR or FINANCES rob you of what we know with certainty will be your BIGGEST BLESSING.
It only takes ONE to change an orphan’s story.
This New Year, may Joy change YOURS.
#changejoysstory #changetheorphanstory #orphanschangeourstory