Sometimes Things are Brown & White

While reading Naomi a new book the girls got for Christmas, a familiar conversation transpired once again. I was admiring the beautiful artwork and thinking of later doing an online search to see what other books might be in this series. My daughter, on the other hand, had something different on her mind. I glanced down at the photo and saw a Mom and daughter. The sentence that came out of my little girl's mouth pierced my heart once again. "Mommy ....... I wanna be white like you!". The topic of the color of our skin is something we've openly talked about as she's grown. She knows that we think God made her incredibly beautiful and we rejoice in the lovely shade of chocolate brown skin that He created her with. But during those moments, I have learned that there is nothing that I can say to fix the longing in her heart.

I've found that in those moments sometimes it's best not to say much at all, but to draw her in close and just hold her tight and love her. We went on to enjoy a whole pile of new little books that evening! It was one of the best moments we've had yet. This little girl is all about princesses and all things pink. We started a new devotional that is entirely devoted to that topic. How I pray that as she grows she learns more about her King and that He made her perfectly according to her design in Psalm 139. I found it amazing that this was the first lesson in the book ... especially after just having that heart-piercing moment on skin color awhile earlier.

I will never be brown and my daughter will never be white. We will never share the same DNA. Sometimes it's still hard for me to fathom how God has woven our family together. We are so incredibly blessed!!! He's taught us so much about His heart on this journey of adoption. His love is far bigger than the color of our skin. And most importantly .... He's here to walk us through each season of this journey together.

God's Princess

This picture brings about such emotion for me. Five years ago we were trusting the Lord to reveal the child He had given us a burden for. A child who would be born in America without parents able to care for him/her. A child we would use the last few dollars (and so many more) we had to our names to bring home. A child our young sons (at that time) worked all sorts of odd jobs to help raise the money for their adoption. A child that would take our family across ethnicity lines ..... in our situation those lines could have also meant still be welcomed in the family ..... God had another plan! .... those are now lines of love.

There were sooooooo many practical reasons NOT to say "yes" to God concerning adoption for our family. It would really be impossible to put into words the gratitude I have in my heart for the man in this picture. Because this man said YES to God, one more little girl doesn't have to grow up knowing the pain of being fatherless. Instead of being a statistic in the US Foster Care system, this precious spunky Texan has the status of family member.

We know full well, it's not about us saving children. OH HOW WE HAVE BEEN CHANGED because of adoption. But when I see this picture, I can't help but also know the sacrifice that was made and in part today is still made. For some, adoption is more than a RADICAL step of faith. It is not just the rich or upper or even middle class families that God calls to OBEY Him concerning adoption! The call to care for the orphan and the fatherless has NO financial status tied to it. If we are a child of God and have been saved and ADOPTED BY HIM then we MUST listen to HIS HEART for HIS CHILDREN.

Today a little girl will go see a fairytale movie about a princess, but she gets to live out soooooo much more than a fairytale. Her story is REAL. She is the princess of a REAL prince and even greater a REAL KING. Her life is not all perfect and this side of heaven she'll probably never live in a big castle and certainly does not live in a family with a big bank account. But even better she will get to grow up hearing about the hope of heaven where there are mansions waiting and the singing of angels and the worshiping of the one true King.

As Christmas draws near ..... will you be brave enough to think about the children both here in the USA and across the world that are so desperate for a family? Will you be bold enough to ask God what YOUR part is? Hang on ....... you just might get your life radically changed. I promise you can't even imagine such a wild and wonderful ride.