I don't believe that Daniel was born to be in our family, the same way that I don't believe that Adam and Eve were set-up to fall.
In a perfect, un-fallen, world, there would be no need for adoption. All parents everywhere would live long, healthy, fertile lives during which they would devote themselves to caring for their children in the best, most beautiful way; training them up to perpetuate the cycle.
Children would be protected by society; their innocence cherished, their hearts guarded.
Families wouldn't be torn apart by lies, by trafficking, by substances, by death.
Obviously we aren't living in that perfect world.
Just like Adam and Eve inevitably screwed up, so do we. Everyday. Little choices that lead to a slow fade from who God made us to be.
But.....
(Now here comes the beautiful part!)
God REDEEMS!
He sends His son to bridge the gap that WE created.
And His son is not second best.
God created us in His image, with free will, knowing we would drop the ball and making a way for us to still be found blameless in His eyes.
Through adoption, He is allowing us to redeem!
I can't change the fact that no one ever told Daniel "I love you" before I showed up, but I can say it everyday now. I can't make up for it, but I can redeem it, through Jesus Christ. What happened has happened. There is no changing it.
Adoption is NOT second best. And when I say that in a perfect world it would be unnecessary, I don't mean that I love my son any bit less.
I can say for Daniel, adoption was the best thing that ever happened to him. Given his situation, it was the best thing that ever could happen to him.
When we were preparing to travel last year (actually one year ago today we went back to Ukraine for court), Garth's uncle told me, "There is more going on here than you understand. God is doing big things for this boy."
All through our process I felt an extreme urgency. God put one word on my heart through out our entire ordeal and that word was "RUN."
At the time I thought the reason that God wanted us to hurry and get there was so that Daniel would not be sent to the internat.
And that was a really good reason.
Except for now, I see more of the story.
Through adoption, He is allowing us to redeem!
I can't change the fact that no one ever told Daniel "I love you" before I showed up, but I can say it everyday now. I can't make up for it, but I can redeem it, through Jesus Christ. What happened has happened. There is no changing it.
Adoption is NOT second best. And when I say that in a perfect world it would be unnecessary, I don't mean that I love my son any bit less.
I can say for Daniel, adoption was the best thing that ever happened to him. Given his situation, it was the best thing that ever could happen to him.
When we were preparing to travel last year (actually one year ago today we went back to Ukraine for court), Garth's uncle told me, "There is more going on here than you understand. God is doing big things for this boy."
All through our process I felt an extreme urgency. God put one word on my heart through out our entire ordeal and that word was "RUN."
At the time I thought the reason that God wanted us to hurry and get there was so that Daniel would not be sent to the internat.
And that was a really good reason.
Except for now, I see more of the story.
What I have been told, is the following:
- On May 1, it was recommended to Mama Director to evacuate. No, she said. This is their home, she said.
- On May 28 the rebels moved into the detskiy dom. Mama Director left. The children did not go with her. The captain abandoned ship.
The above picture is what is left.
I am not sure where the children are...
I have often wondered why Daniel got out and others....did not. But the other day it occurred to me that maybe there were families for those children, too. But people didn't listen to the redemption song. Instead of listening, maybe they listed. Listed all the reasons that they couldn't do it.
