Interestingly I have been asked why we chose E. Why he was the one we chose.
Someone who had met him prior to our choosing him, described him as the kid that would probably not have been chosen. He didn’t mean it maliciously at all, but if you looked at the video he was in…or the other kids around you may have said the same.
He wasn’t the friendliest. He wasn’t the cutest. He wasn’t the healthiest. He actually became one of the most ill. As you could see in his before pics, he ended up with some significant physical issues.
I don’t know how to tell you what it was that drew me to him, other than it was God.
In the waiting child video he just kind of looked at the camera. He didn’t want to smile or say anything, he just gave us his stare…then the infamous shoulder shrug. At the time I thought it was so cute…poor little man. Little did I know that that cute little shrug was the equivalent of “Bite Me” in Ethiopian. (Man did we see that shoulder a TON when he first came home. It quickly became…UNcute.)
There were some really really cute kids on that video, smiling and sweet… reciting what their favorite classes were in school and sharing what they wanted to be when they grew up.
Truly, how DOES one choose a child? It’s not like choosing a shirt, or a nice pair of earrings…this is for life. Life.
There was just something about his little tiny face. Those lost eyes that drew me in. I kept going back to that video and looking into those eyes asking God if this was our son.
God said yes.
I am so so so glad we said yes when we did… because as you may have read we might not have chosen him after his illness. We might have missed out. We might have chosen one of those other sweet little faces… and then the lives of SO many other people would have changed. I know where most of those precious children are now and they are exactly where they belong. Not in my home…but in the homes where they were meant to be outside of their birth families.
We didn’t choose E. God did. He chose him for us.
Each and every child deserves a home…. EACH ONE.
5 comments:
1st. You rock. As does E.
2nd. I am listening to Clocks by Coldplay and slightly missing home. I lived 20 minutes from Chris Martin's family. And it always made me feel close to Coldplay. My favourite band.
3rd. I get it completely. The "little one" many people told me they think she is ugly or they feel sick when they look at her. To me, I see Him in her. End. Of. Story :)
This is a really sweet post.
Honestly, I saw his video too prior to chosing my first two kids and I probably would have been reluctant myself:( Shame on me. It is truly amazing from where you started when you first met him in ET to all the hospital stays right after you returned home. A long journey to get him healthy. Now he is this beautiful boy looking like you can post him in a magazine. I told you before he just has that look. I am in love with your kid. But bless you and D for looking past all that and the video and saying yes to him anyway because you were obedient.
And if we let God do the choosing, it's always the way it should be...
Love it.
I would like to exchange links with your site 4blessed.blogspot.com
Is this possible?
Post a Comment