A sweet homecoming

Joy.  PURE JOY.  That's how I feel while writing this.

My best friend, Kimber, who I first wrote about in this post, has, over the years, selflessly and genuinely celebrated many of our other friends' baby joys, even though she, herself, suffered the tragic loss of her baby 4 years ago, which she wrote about here.

Her story is one of loss and redemption.  How God makes beauty out of ashes.  And I have so learned by watching her and her husband journey through loss, through worshiping in the midst of loss, through hope, through tears, through trusting in the Lord, through waiting, and waiting, and still more waiting.  My faith has been encouraged by her faith, through her experiences of our Lord's comfort and presence through all that life brings.

She started the adoption process 3 years ago, and now the wait is over!  It's at last her joy that we get to share in!  She brought home her newly adopted baby boy from Ethiopia last week.

I decided to fly to Atlanta to surprise her and join the welcoming committee at the airport.

Sidenote - One of my decision-making filters is this:  "Am I going to look back and be glad that I did that?"  If the answer is "yes", then I go for it.  If it is "no" or "I'm not sure", then I don't do it or am more deliberate in my proceedings.  In this case, the answer was an unquestionable "YES!"

So I wrote my sub plans (you're worth it, Kimber) and boarded an Atlanta-bound plane with a joy-filled heart.

And I am indeed glad that I went.  Here is a taste of that celebratory day:

my childhood friend Tatum, me, and my mom ready with our signs

waiting to meet their new cousin

more friends excited to celebrate

These three were also adopted from Ethiopia by some of Kimber's friends in her wonderful adoption community.  It was precious to see them ready to celebrate another little boy being welcomed home into his forever family.

They were ready with their signs too.

an eager crowd

Going through customs and immigration takes time, so we had to hold onto our excitement and our signs a little while longer.

In the meantime, people mingled...

....the kids played games and ate snacks,

...and apparently made friends with the airport security.

Then, the moment we were waiting for arrived:  they were coming!

Miller, Kimber, and Baby Ryder had gotten their bags and were heading to meet us.

Tatum and I got into position, our anticipation at its peak!  Eeeee!!!

And there they were!

This was our reaction (cheers and clapping).  It was such a JOYOUS moment.

After traveling some 36 hours (or something like that), they looked alert and happy.  It brought tears to my eyes.  I don't think I've ever seen my friend look that happy.

Watching her happily carrying their new son home, amid all the cheers and clapping, Jesus's words came forward in my mind:

"I will not leave you as orphans.  I will come to you." - John 14:18

I love Miss Pam's face here (Kimber's mom,  in the orange)

The cousins swarmed.  They were so excited.

Tears of joy.  I was a mess.

It was so sweet to watch Ryder meet his proud grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.

This little guy has no idea what a wonderful family he has just become a part of.

Standing off to the side, watching these family pictures being taken, the truth of the Gospel struck me again.  I felt I would burst with the joy of it all.

I thought, "Wow - what a picture of being adopted by God, into His family.  Here is this former orphan who is now a beloved child, with unconditional love lavished on him, not because of anything he did on his own merit.  And everything this family has is now transferred to him.  That's so powerful!"

Here is what Tim Keller says, "The minute you become a Christian, you have intimacy of relationship. You have an unconditional relationship. You become wealthy, because everything that Jesus Christ has accomplished is transferred to you. You become beautiful and spiritually rich in him."

When Kimber, Tatum, and I used to have sleep-overs and play "Mash" in middle school - that silly game to predict how our lives would turn out (who we would marry, how many kids we would have, where we would live, etc.) - we never included suffering in any of the choices.  We didn't know then that there would be suffering.  We also couldn't have imagined the beautiful, redemptive plans God had in store.

getting sleepy

finally tuckered out from all the traveling and excitement

The celebrations continued when, a couple days later, Kimber's parents hosted a lovely reception.  It was marvelous.  Absolutely marvelous.

 

Aren't these sugar cookies amazing?!

Congratulations, Kimber and Miller!  I am thrilled for you guys and am rejoicing in what God has done!

(pictures courtesy of Vickie Hoffman, Andrea Young, and my mom)

My big brother

Today is National Siblings Day.  I didn't know this holiday existed until recently.  There's a holiday nowadays for everything it seems.  Who's in charge of making these up, anyway?

I'll play along.  Happy Siblings Day, Matt!  (Important clarification:  Matt is the name of both my husband and my brother.  Different people.)

my big brother Matt

I've always looked up to him.  Because he's taller than me.  And because I thought he was cool.

Today, I have such hope for squirmy, impulsive boys in my class because my brother was a squirmy, impulsive boy, and he turned out okay.

Now, he's a compelling teacher and leader, a good husband to his wife, and a loving daddy to his kids.  He's passionate about Jesus.  Through him, God has started a ministry in Atlanta to share the Gospel with the many diverse people in the city (young professionals, college kids, internationals, refugees, urban kids...).  It's so exciting to see what God is doing there and to see Matt in his "element".  Matt's a born leader.  According to his Myer's Briggs personality test, he "cannot not lead."  We have such different gifts. The idea of directing a city ministry makes me break out in a sweat.  And yet, I appreciate that he is humble about his mistakes, and I have never seen him act overly important in his role.  He is perhaps the most persuasive person I know too.  People joke with me how he convinced all these people to leave their states and their current jobs to move to Atlanta to join him in launching the Atlanta ministry.  Now he has a thriving team there making Christ known in Atlanta.  It's awesome.  Click here to learn more about the Atlanta ministry.

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Now, won't you join me on a walk down Memory Lane...

This next segment is entitled "I remember"

Matt,

I remember when you were obsessed with Star Wars and faithfully wore the same Santa hat every Christmas.

I remember that time when you tried to hatch an egg in the microwave (even though, I, being 3 years younger, told you I didn't think it worked that way).

I remember as a little girl sitting on your bedroom floor looking through baseball cards with you.  I didn't care about the baseball cards; I just liked spending time with you.

Then I remember that time when you bought me a pack of baseball cards for my birthday because you knew I would, in turn, let you have them.  So the next year on my birthday, when you pulled the same trick, I wised up and decided to keep the pack of baseball cards for myself.  I remember that you were jealous because that pack ended up having some really good cards in it.  (and dad laughed)

I remember when you would playfully swing your baseball bat at my face, then stop when it was inches away because you thought that was good fun.  You were mistaken.

I remember how you used to lay on your back with your knees bent and feet in the air, then catapult me from one couch to the other.  That was good fun.

I remember when you were convinced that Mom was surely an alcoholic when we found her cooking wine in the cabinet.

I remember how you taught me to make tooting noises with my armpit.

I remember spending a lot of time on the little league baseball park playground with all the other little sisters.

I remember deciding together to spend part of our one-hour of allowed television time a day on the Fresh Prince of Bel Air.  It was a good choice.

"iiiiin WEST Philadelphia, born and raised..."

I remember observing you being kind and enthusiastically friendly to a so-called nerd when we were older.

awwk-ward

I remember how I watched your identity in college change from being in sports to being more fully in Jesus and the impact that had on me.

I remember how you officiated my wedding and talked about servant love and how Jesus modeled this for us and that we can only accomplish it through Him.

I remember how afterwards you danced part of John Travolta's Saturday Night Fever dance at the reception.

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Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to have had sisters.  I probably would have had more fashion choices but would not have known who Jose Canseco was.  Life's a tradeoff.

I really am grateful to have grown up with you, Matt, and am glad to call you brother and friend.

Happy National Siblings Day!