Safely Home

When was the last time you were away from your family? Maybe you went away for the weekend with some friends or you had to take a business trip. Maybe you went away to college for a semester. How did you feel about being away from your family? Joyce and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary recently and we took a weekend away from Devin, Michael and Austin just to relax and be together. It was great, but by the end of the second day, I was missing my boys! Don't get me wrong-- I could have used another day or two. But I definately had a gnawing sensation in my heart that my precious family was not all safely under one roof.

That's kind of how it's been the last year or so. Realize that we have been in the adoption process for almost two years. By the end of the first year it was as if our baby girl was already part of our family. When people would ask me how many children I had, I would say something like, "Four. I have three boys who live with me and a little girl who currently lives in China." As time goes by, it is getting harder and harder to be at peace because one of my children is thousands of miles away from me. I can't take care of her. I can't hold her. I can't whisper in her ear, "I love you, sweetheart."

It will be another 4 or 5 weeks until we get her picture in the mail and we see her face for the first time. Then another 6 weeks before Joyce and I fly off to China for "Gotcha Day". For now, I pray that God would protect her and care for her. But probably sometime in January or February, Joyce and I will be the ones holding Gracie and whispering "I love you" in her ear. Then my heart will breathe a sigh of relief, because all my kids will be home.