A friend wrote me a few months ago and told me about a book she had just read that she thought I would love, which I put on my "to get sometime list"... and then received for my birthday, after Mama begged this list off of me, haha ;).
I hadn't picked it up yet, just because I don't start a book without the perfect atmosphere (#perfectinistprocrastinatorproblems), but last Monday I woke up a little earlier, and I knew that the rest of my week was going to be rather busy, so after catching up in my bible reading I decided to read the first chapter... and ended up reading a few ;).
I hadn't picked it up yet, just because I don't start a book without the perfect atmosphere (#perfectinistprocrastinatorproblems), but last Monday I woke up a little earlier, and I knew that the rest of my week was going to be rather busy, so after catching up in my bible reading I decided to read the first chapter... and ended up reading a few ;).
I'm not even half way through the book yet, but I am already admiring the unusually open style of this book in dealing with hard things. While a book about a little girl finding a family, it is NOT all sunshine and roses - especially when she finds her family. I'm eager to see where this book goes as I continue reading (and hopeful that one of my favorite characters so far might show up again, ha...).
While I have been reading through this book, in little snatches of time (after I start the book, I don't have to wait for the perfect time, as long as the chapters are short ;) ), I have been finding myself thinking of the Miracle Of Adoption Christmas Campaign, held annually by Reece's Rainbow.
The truth is, a lot of the components of this story remind me of the blog posts that I read every year by families who have adopted through Reece's Rainbow's agency. Fear. Trauma. The inability to emotionally except love after how these children have felt hurt for so long. How hard it is for the parents to know what is right in their plans to enable their children to move on from the past's hurts of all kinds. Not all of the families have found it as difficult as others. Some families find the physical disabilities of their children more daunting than the emotional. Sometimes they bring their children home and are amazed by how much less they are dealing with then they were told they would be required to when committing to their child.
Yes, in many ways, these adoptions are different than the one described in "A Penny Parcel". Many times, it's nothing like what Ashley and her adopted family go through. But in other cases, in other ways, it's very similar. Emotional and hard.
The truth is, a lot of the components of this story remind me of the blog posts that I read every year by families who have adopted through Reece's Rainbow's agency. Fear. Trauma. The inability to emotionally except love after how these children have felt hurt for so long. How hard it is for the parents to know what is right in their plans to enable their children to move on from the past's hurts of all kinds. Not all of the families have found it as difficult as others. Some families find the physical disabilities of their children more daunting than the emotional. Sometimes they bring their children home and are amazed by how much less they are dealing with then they were told they would be required to when committing to their child.
Yes, in many ways, these adoptions are different than the one described in "A Penny Parcel". Many times, it's nothing like what Ashley and her adopted family go through. But in other cases, in other ways, it's very similar. Emotional and hard.
But you know something else? Every year, as I read these blogs, I notice something else. All these blogging families who take part in the MACC after their own adoptions all agree on two things.
Yes, it's hard.
But it's worth it.
THEY are worth it.
And no matter how hard it is, they encourage all those they can to get involved in helping these little ones to find their forever family, and to help grow their adoption funds, as fast as they can. So that no more pain and hurt and neglect/inability to get proper care causes them to suffer any more.
The MACC runs from November through December every year, and there are several ways we can help, no matter how "little" we feel we have to gives. Prayers, time, advocacy, and yes, money if possible. As we are about to head into November, can I ask that you would pray about whether you should help this ministry in some way this Christmas season? If you could help even one child this year? Could possibly help one precious little one like Scott this Christmas?
We never know how our little may be used by God to change the course of one of these lives <3!
Rejoicing in Hope,
Bri <3
We never know how our little may be used by God to change the course of one of these lives <3!
Rejoicing in Hope,
Bri <3
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