A Look Back

It's been almost two years since we started our paperwork chase and the official process of adoption. It's been just over seven months since we received and accepted a referral for our one month baby girl, Elliana Genet. It has been three long and hard months of living apart from her after meeting her, holding her, and falling even more in love with her than pictures could ever do.

But,

today. is. the. day.

We have watched her grow through pictures. We have wondered what she is doing at every moment of the day and in the middle of the night when we wake. We have cried tears of joy and heartache. We have longed for this day for what seems like forever.

And she was so. worth. the. wait.

God has brought us into such a deeper knowledge and understanding of our adoption and what it means to be an adopted child of Him and a coheir with Christ. We have been driven to God's word over and over. And He is so faithful through that to give us peace and comfort and grow our trust and knowledge of Him. Isn't that so gracious of God to bring us through circumstances to draw us closer to Him?! It hasn't been easy, but it has been all in His planned and appointed time and we know that as His beloved it was all for our good and for His glory. It's never been about us or about saving a child from poverty. No, it's all about Christ and what He has done for us and changing a child's life by sharing the gospel. We are privileged to be able to show at a horizontal and earthly level just a piece of what has been done for us vertically and eternally. Like everyone knows, adoption has a great cost. A great sacrifice of time, money, and energy. But that is nothing, nothing, nothing, in comparison to what it cost to adopt us. God sent His son out of heaven to come die for sinners. Jesus Christ came to take on flesh and humanity in its fullest and live a life of humility and obedience all the way to a cross. So please, when you think about our adoption and beautiful little Elliana, consider what Christ has done--what has already been done and is finished-- on the behalf of a repentant sinner who turns to Christ and believes. When you see our daughter, who is just as much our real daughter as any child who enters our family through my womb, please ponder how believers are just as much God's real children and share the inheritance with Christ. Amazing.
But there is going to be a post all about this real soon....as soon as I sit down to write it!

"But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law that we might receive the adoption as sons." Galatians 4:4-5

Here is a look back at how she has grown and changed through pictures!