Happy Gotcha Day, Emma!

It's been 2 years since we stood in a cold, dark government office in Wuhan, China and met our daughter for the first time. After years of praying and longing for our child and wondering what it would be like to be in that very moment, it was surreal to actually be living out our dream and accepting our new reality. Before meeting Emma, we were able to explore her birth country. I couldn't help but wonder as we passed by literally millions of faces if one of them might be her birth mother. It was such a strange experience with such mixed emotions. I found myself thinking about how she must have felt as she left her tiny newborn near that police station. Was she overcome with sadness? Doubts? Fear? I choose to believe that she loved her sweet baby so much but was unable to care for her medical needs so she had no other choice but to leave her so she could be found and receive the care she needed in the orphanage.  I'm so grateful she put her in a safe spot where she was quickly found and taken into the care of the dear nannies who cared for and adored this little girl . I recently read an article that Ann Voskamp wrote about her own child's adoption story. She wrote, "you were not put there to be lost. You were placed there to be found." I pray that Emma's birth mother somehow knows that the child she delivered was found and she is safe, loved and treasured deeply. The sacrifice made by that woman became one of our greatest joys and seeing my daughter is a constant reminder of God's goodness and how he makes something beautiful out of the brokenness.  Our life would look quite differently had we not said "yes" to the Lord's call for our family to adopt but man, we sure would have missed out on one of the greatest blessings in our lives! Happy Gotcha Day to our precious, sassy, silly, affectionate Emma. 2 years down and forever to go, sweet girl!