There's No Place Like Home

Ah home

Let me come Home

Home is wherever I'm with you.

 

 

For the past few months we've been talking to the girls about our family.  That our family is not complete without baby brother and that even though he is across the world, he is still part of our family and that is why we are working so hard to get him -so our family can be together.  All true and all very dear to my heart.

 

Also, very simplistic.

  

Because baby brother will be coming home, coming to family. But he will also be leaving home, and leaving family.  And I just don't know how my heart will keep from breaking over this beautiful yet tragic experience.  I'm not ready to share all the details, but we've been finding out a bit about his Ukrainian story and like any family, they have deep sorrow patched with little pieces of joy.  My little Solnichko is not able to be raised  by his Ukrainian family so in just weeks I will change his life completely and remove him from everything his little heart calls home.

 

Grief.

 

I am already grieving his loss-and the loss of those he leaves behind.  Someday he will grieve it as well and I guess if my own grief allows my heart to feel part of his as it breaks, then so be it.  But it hurts.  And it's not fair. Never think that adoption is the result of some rescuer swooping in with riches and rainbows, loving together a family that was meant to be one.  No.  Adoption is the result of something horrible taking place, a family breaking, lives crumbling, remnants. Can beauty rise from ashes?

You make beautiful things

You make beautiful things out of  dust

 

Yes.

 

Family can be redeemed and redemption is the heart of adoption.  But it is messy and it is painful. It's not Plan A, it's Plan Because. Everyone involved needs to choose love, over and over and over again.  Just like His story of redemption, adoption is a story continually coming back. Back to family.  And also like the original, I believe each adoption story has intricacies woven throughout its tapestry, jewels hidden amongst threads, strung together, shining out to reveal glory.

 

Why do Bard and I speak Russian?  Is it because that's a path we chose when we were long ago college students or is it so we can Skype with family in Ukraine next month, next year? Why do we have a love for the Slavic culture? How is it that we know people back home who can translate precious family histories for us? We have already experienced moments that we will treasure for a lifetime, memories we can pass on, stories we can share as we love this little boy together, we come together, family. Pain. Beauty. Loss. Growth. Love.

 

Home.

 

Surely  goodness and mercy will follow me and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Psalm 23