The ONE Item You Need on Your Christmas List If You Are Adopting

I love the story of our Lord’s birth, it is so full of joy and hope! Of all the Christmas traditions and events we attend this time of year, one of my favorites is watching the children’s nativity scene at church on Christmas Eve. It is the Wisemen, proceeding down the aisle with dresses two sizes to big, tripping over their dragging sashes, and carrying spray-painted canisters that make my head turn and soul smile.

Walking back thousands of years, I am captivated by the Wisemen’s journey to find the young savior. It is a story that includes a star in the sky and carefully prepared gifts, punctuated by human wonder. I want to know more about this story, like: What motivated them to launch off on this journey?  Was it scripture, alone, that prophesied the birth of the savior that moved them?  Or was it a nudge in their soul from God?  Were their hearts prepared for the gravity of the scene of which they were about to be a part?  Did they party and celebrate all along the pathway, cooking out s’mores around the campfire and singing His praises? Or was the path to their Lord, more pensive and prayerful as they neared the Holy One?

Ultimately, these Wisemen made a choice to set out on a journey toward something big; bigger than themselves, bigger than their generation, bigger than this world. I can only imagine how they felt. Fearful, joyous, excited, and anxious, they had plenty of time to wonder about whom they were seeking. At the end of the 500 mile long journey, “the star that they had seen…rose when before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they FELL DOWN and worshiped him,” Matthew 2: 9-11.

Stop Wondering About Adoption...Instead be in Wonder of Adoption

When we were adopting, I wondered about everything. What would my child look like? What it would sound like when she said “mommy” for the first time? How would I ever find our child among the “red flags” and “adoption scamming” stories that popped up in my Facebook feed? That word “wonder” has two very different meanings. And I wish I would have taken more time to be in wonder; to fully believe in God’s promises that I knew to be true. That He had a plan. That this adoption would lead to my child. That He had been planning for this child and for our family even before a single star was placed in the sky. Oh my, I could meditate on that for a long winter’s night!

The ONE Item You Need on Your Christmas List If You Are Adopting-

knee pads...

As you journey into adoption with mountains of paperwork, profiles and budgeting, I propose what sets the foundation for a successful adoption is a healthy dose of being in wonder. The lyrics to the Christmas hymn We Three Kings plays in my head, “Star of wonder.” Let us challenge ourselves to get lost in wonder this season and stop wondering about the details of a plan that has been masterfully worked-out.  For now, take a breath and find joy in His peace. Better yet, put knee pads on your Christmas list, you will need them when you lay eyes on your child for the first time and fall to your knees in awe of your creator!

Scripture for the Road

Matthew 2: 9-11

The star that they had seen…rose when before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him.

-Alison England, LMSW     Author of Best-Selling Book in Adoption-Tandem: A Devotional for Adopting with God in the Lead

I would love to encourage you along your adoption path. click here to find Tandem on Amazon and read reviews or follow me on Instagram @riding.tandem

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