I could tell by the look in his eyes as we took him from his “father’s” arms that he was a little scared. He didn’t know us. He was in a strange environment, surrounded by unfamiliar faces and sounds, and his “parents” were walking away. One day away from his first birthday, and his future is still up in the air.
Father and parents are in quotes above because although they have serving as his parents for the past year, they aren’t his birth parents, have had no official status as guardians, and aren’t sure what the future holds for this cobbled-together family.
Kim and I were at the county courthouse today to help with this beautiful toddler while our friends wade through the legal workings of the system. They would love to adopt him, to place their names on the line where their hearts have lived for almost a year now.
They are godly and wise, goofy and weird–the kind of parents that we want to be! Their family is a beautiful mix of colors and cultures. They are living out the biblical ideal of caring for the orphan, the marginalized. They truly want only what is best for this little boy, no matter what that means for themselves.
I held this happy, drooling boy for more than an hour. We sang and played peek-a-boo and walked the halls together. Kim read to him; I played trucks with him. As the time passed I could literally feel the tension leaving his body as he began to be more comfortable in my arms.
I prayed over him, silently, and the marble hallway became something of a makeshift sanctuary. As he warmed to me, he leaned in, tucking his head into my shoulder. I whispered ever so gently into his ear–into his heart–
You are loved.
You are precious.
You are wanted, and you are loved.
He may never remember this day or the guy with the goofy chin fuzz that he grabbed. But it’s my prayer that those words land like seeds in the soil of his heart, bearing fruit for the ages and becoming part of his story.
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