She's been swimming, competing and setting records for years, but on Sunday during a 60-second Super Bowl commercial, her story stole an entire nation's heart.
That's because Jessica Long was born overseas with something the world calls a "disability" but one family knew was just a superpower in disguise.
With a condition called fibular hemimelia, Jessica was missing her fibulas, ankles, heels and most of the bones in her feet.
But not a fighting heart.
"It won't be easy," people told the family praying about adopting this sweetheart and her brother from the Siberian orphanage where a precious teenage couple had surrendered her in the best act of love they knew how.
I imagine the Long family received a long list of all the things this precious orphan in Siberia would NOT be able to do.
Possibly an inventory of all the ways her life would somehow be limited.
Maybe a million warnings from well-meaning friends and family about all the ways that their lives might then be limited, too.
Because it's just human nature to look at "realistic" parameters before realizable potential, to prioritize comfort above the kind of Christlike courage it takes to believe a Savior over a circumstance and trust that He really can move the mountains He tells us He can move.
But even in the face of the world's views of "handicaps," of society's view of "limits," this faithful family saw in this treasure what her Heavenly father saw:
A precious, perfect, priceless image bearer of God.
One whose identity didn't come from her abilities or her body parts but from a wonder-working God who specializes in bringing beauty out of brokenness and making all things new.
At age 28, this incredible woman is an adoption advocate and an American Paralympic swimmer with multiple world records — one who has competed at four Paralympic games, won 23 medals and subsequently become one of the most successful athletes in Paralympic games history.
An orphanage resident who became a resident Olympian.
An absolute warrior in this world.
But Orphan Warriors, Jessica isn't the only treasure who once slept in an institution bed.
Around the world, thousands of superheroes just like her lie in orphanage beds TODAY.
Lie in wait.
Wait actually the LONGEST for forever families because of their documented “special needs.” (An estimated 90-97 percent of all Chinese orphans have some sort of medical needs.)
But if there’s anything that Jessica Long and Superhero 3 and Superhero 4 and ALL the incredible children who were born with things the world calls handicaps but are really just handy-capabilities teach us is that SPECIAL NEEDS are just SUPERPOWERS in DISGUISE.
These kids are the treasures.
These superheroes are the gifts.
And adoptive families are NOT the saviors.
Adoptive families, like Jessica Long’s mother so beautifully put it, are just the undeservedly blessed ones who get front row seats to the AMAZING.
If God is speaking to your heart, don't let fear rob you of your front row seat to the amazing today.
#specialneedsarejustsuperpowersindisguise #frontrowseatstotheamazing #loveisaverb
See a list of waiting children from around the world on sites like RainbowKids HERE.
Find out more about starting the international adoption process HERE.
Find more adoption resources on our website HERE.
(Title photo by Cristian Palmer on Unsplash)