I am the oldest of three children. I have a brother Tim who is three years younger than myself. And my sister Julie, is eight years behind me. We are bonded by blood and childhood memories, but as adults we are quite different individuals, living from coast to coast in the United States.
Tim is a zoo veterinarian in Seattle, Washington. This does not surprise me. When we lived at our Thornton, Illinois, home, Tim's room was filled with animals, from wallpaper to stuffed animals. I remember one time when he thought he was an actual lion and tried to bite me. Luckily, I survived. How fun it is to see him now as he attaches shoes on a baby giraffe or performs surgery on a gorilla.
Julie is an elementary school teacher in South Holland, Illinois, recently celebrating 25 years in the classroom. Her students adore her, and she has also become an accomplished cook. She makes her own bagels and pasta! This from my little sister who never babysat and didn't like to help out in the kitchen. How did she get all the culinary skills when I was the owner of a well-used Betty Crocker kid's cookbook?
But in addition to Tim and Julie, I was given two additional siblings . . . Tom and Jimmy. My parents were foster parents. Even though my parents had very busy lives as full-time public school teachers and extremely involved members of our Baptist church, they signed up to care for children in need. I remember when the phone rang asking if they could bring a child over who needed help "right now." My parents were stunned but said, "yes." And with one word our home and our hearts were forever changed.
 |
| Tom (left), Tim, Julie, and myself at Easter. |
But recently my heart has been impressed by two families who have opened their home and adopted teenagers.
Frances
My friend Frances is a natural mom. She is warm and loving with a ready smile. And she was one of the first people to welcome me to Florida and to our church. She and her husband Jeffrey longed for a baby. Little did they know that a teenage girl would show up in their lives to fill this hole in their hearts. When they met their daughter-to-be, her life was a tough one with a mom who couldn't care for her. So my friends took the young girl into their home to shelter her from the storm of her circumstances.
As the situation progressed and deteriorated, it became clear that this young woman didn't need a temporary home, she needed a permanent one. And so my beautiful friend, who had prayed for God to send her a child of her own, now realized that she had one standing right in front of her.
Over coffee yesterday, Frances shared that at the official adoption ruling, the judge asked Jeffrey and their daughter to make a statement. As her husband and daughter shard their stories of hardship and love, Frances saw the tough security guards wipe tears from their eyes. The road ahead will not be without bumps. Their daughter has been through a great deal. But I've no doubt that this loving couple is exactly what she needs.
Tabitha
I have another friend Tabitha, a former student of mine. Tabitha is creative and quirky with a big smile and ready laugh. She and her husband decided to take part in a summer program where Russian orphans are brought to the United States for rest and care. The teenage boy who came to stay with them needed everything from clothing and medical attention. But he was smart and loving and funny. They did fun things like teach him video games. But they also brought him on his very first visit to a dentist. And, when Tabitha asked why he wasn't wearing the new clothing they'd purchased for him at Target, he said that he had never owned new clothes before, and he wanted to bring them back to the orphanage to show the other kids.
Of course, when the summer ended, Tabitha and her husband and their son were head over heels in love with him. They did not want their boy to leave. He wasn't just an orphan - he was their child! So they've started the paperwork. It is intensive and expensive. The process is long. And they are trying to be patient and wait. Because they know that he is meant to be their son. They've chosen him for their family.
What a blessing it is to be a part of a family, to be loved and to be known. For some of us it happens naturally. But sometimes, families happen in another way. We open the door of our hearts to new people. We make space for family to begin.
There are so many more children and teenagers who need homes, who need people to love and care for them.
I'm so thankful for people like Frances and Tabitha.
Also - if you'd like to help bring Tabitha's son to the United States and take this FINAL step of their adoption journey, the link is here!
Comments