May 23, 2011

Where it All Started

Just a few days ago, our youngest son, Matthew, walked into his new home and his new world for the first time.

Lately, several people have mentioned that I should write about all this. I’m sure when someone suggests that, they are hoping to read about the heartwarming moments and the amazing experiences and emotions that accompany each step of this journey we are on. They probably want to hear about things like the first time we met Matthew, the first time he saw Jackson and Parker, his reaction to our two crazy dogs and his new room.

And I’m sure, over time, I will begin to write about a lot of that (somewhere other than my journals). But I can’t write about any of it. Not here. Not yet. Not until I share the very foundation of this entire journey.

It’s easy, I think, to look at this whole situation from the perspective that this is a huge blessing—for us and for Matthew.

Now…if you know me, then you know my heart. And you know I don’t say that to brag. I don’t say that boasting how we have everything to offer this little boy who has nothing. I say that only because I am fully confident in God. I see every day what He has already done for me and my family.

I think to be blessed by God and then to deny those blessings in front of people is to spit in the face of God. So yes, I see that we have a blessed family. We are simply opening up what we have been given to a little boy who needs a home. “We’re blessed to be a blessing.”

That’s so true. But that’s also the “easy preach,” as my pastor would say. And it’s not the impetus of our journey. Not by a long shot.

That may sound strange to some. After all, adoption is about having the heart to extend love and grace and open your home, right? Maybe. But under all of that is a word a lot of people don’t talk about. What some people may not see or know is that every second of our journey has been taken with one thing in mind. And it isn’t to be a blessing. It is simply to be obedient.

Those of you who have prayed with us have been praying for something you may not even realize. You have prayed strength into our family to continue taking steps of obedience. But here’s the great thing about it all. This is the part that brings tears to my eyes and causes me to stare heavenward in absolute amazement.

God, in His infinite goodness and love, cannot help but bless our obedience. And I’m not just talking about the Boyds anymore. And I’m not just talking about adoption anymore either. I’m talking about every single person on earth, in every realm of life. We don’t obey God to be blessed; we are blessed because we obey.

So on our journey of adoption, that’s simply what we are doing. We are continuing to seek God’s will and move forward one step at a time. And because of that, we are seeing the culmination of obedience…which is the blessing of another son to call us “Mommy” and “Daddy.”

No comments:

Post a Comment