The Twisty Turny Tale, Part 2

**This is part 2 in the telling of a series of events that the Lord has recently allowed us to experience, in the journey of the adoption of our Li'l Empress. If you haven't yet read part 1, I encourage you to head back to yesterday's post first. It really does need to be told. For Li'l Empress's benefit as she grows. For my benefit, to remind me of the faithfulness and love of My Father. For your benefit, to read and see that the Lord is good. He cares about you. He is in the details of your life. He wants to weave a tale for you.

Here's where we left off:

My little girl has had far too many
major "good-byes"
in her little life already.

The really exciting thing to me about this statement is that the Lord allowed it to be the primary reaction to this unfolding story for a reason. You see, I found all this out just at the time when I was feeling weary. Tired from the nights of rocking her heavy little body to sleep in my arms, standing droopily by her crib. Tired from not having my regular date nights out with The Boss. Weary from wondering how long adjustment and transition takes for a 15-month old baby girl. I've spoken before of her strong will. That alone is an exhausting adjustment. Add the task of intentionally setting the tones of security, unconditional love and sense of enduring family, and you can see why I was tired. Please understand. I rejoice in this gift we call the Li'l Empress. I am so joyful to have my darling dumpling in my arms at last. But the week that this story began to unfold, I was tired.

Isn't that just like our Father?! He knew I was weary. He knew that for all the joy and excitement we were experiencing, the honeymoon period was over and the work of real life was settling in. And He lovingly orchestrated these events in such a way that I could receive them for what they were: treasures and peeks into my daughter's first year.

As an outstanding and extravagant "ribbon topper" to the amazing gift of insight to Li'l Empress's life, these generous and thoughtful contacts from China Care were able to forward to us a series of photos taken by their staff members as part of their documentations and records of the children to whom they minister. We have 60-70 pictures of our girl, throughout her entire first 13 months! What a gift. What a priceless, precious gift. For us now, and for her as she grows. To see her growth and changes and development. To see her little personality start to emerge as she grows in her awareness of the camera. To see tangible evidence that she was loved and nurtured, and I might add, apparently very well-fed if her chubby cheeks are any evidence at all!

The extravagance didn't end there. They also generously forwarded three (yes, THREE!) videos featuring Li'l Empress in all her cuteness, interacting with the camera and with her foster parents. We are over-flowing with gratitude. We are humbled by the knowledge that this is a rare treasure. We are more humbled by the fact that this is rare treasure that most adoptive families never get to experience. We went into this adoption knowing that we may never have more than a cursory medical report or two on our child. We knew we were okay with that and knew that God could and would cover what we were missing, both in our knowledge of her past and in the journey to becoming a family. He has. And He will continue to.

Now, thanks to this twisty turny tale of events that we couldn't have made up if we tried, we have more of our daughter's story - with its own tale of twists and turns that carried her to us. And we give thanks.