As I think about Father's Day, this year is different. For the first time in my life, I am painfully aware of all the children who have no parents. Orphans all over the world who aren't making cards in Sunday School today, who aren't "cooking" breakfast and jumping into bed with mom & dad. Children who aren't toddling around in their Daddy's loafers or throwing a ball together.
Consequently, it causes me to think about my own family, my father, my husband---differently. I am, as I have always been, grateful that I was blessed with a Dad to grow up with and a husband who is a great Dad to his children. But, this year, as we wait to be united with our older son, I am excited that this will be the last Father's Day that he will be without a Dad. Next year, he will be able to do all those traditional "Father's Day" things that we all take for granted. He will have a Father and a grandfather here on this earth. A father who can share with him about his heavenly Father who has had this in his design all along.
Each day as I talk online with other current and future adoptive families, I become more aware of the countless numbers of children who never get that family. Children in China who, once they reach their 14th birthday, lose that chance forever. Forever. Each day, another child "ages out" and celebrates their birthday knowing that they are now on their own.
As I look over the visitors widget on this blog each day, I see that we have visitors from all over the world. Total strangers who take a moment to read about our journey. So, on this Father's Day, I thought I would honor the fathers in my life by asking, could one of these young boys or girls be your child? Is it possible that they are waiting on you? I know one thing for sure, there are no perfect families and no magic formula for being "ready". Tom and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary in January and we had NO IDEA then that the Lord was preparing us for this walk to China. Boy, has our life changed since Easter! We didn't even meet the qualifications for adoption and still, here we are. There are countless reasons to ignore that tug. We did. More than once. I am glad, for our son's sake, that we didn't ignore it this time.
So, hug your kids, tell the Dads in your life you appreciate them and thank God for the ways He has blessed you.
Angie
We are the Rylands Family: Tom, Angie, Colin, Connor, Cameron, Cooper and Tommy. This blog chronicles our journey of adoption. Our adopted sons are from Shenyang, Wuhan, Chongqing and Changsha, China. Join us as we trust God and see what He has in store.....
3 comments:
Beautifully said, Angie!!! I am SO glad to know you and feel very privaledged to be able to watch your wonderful son come home and to be able to meet him and see him with his father and his amazing mother!!
Thanks Annie! But, I don't have to tell you that we are the privileged ones! We may never know why God has chosen us to parent this young man, but we are trusting Him and feel very honored that He has. I am especially enjoying the amazing new "family" of adoptive moms that I am getting to know so well. Can't wait to swim again. (Or at least watch the kiddos swim!)
Well said and yes, we asked ourselves the question and we were so glad that GOD answered YES and we ran right out and our little gift from heaven will be home soon. Boys are often the last to be adopted, and boys with special needs might as well forget about it. The least of these is the BEST among us all, and it will be our greatest privilege to have our new son under our roof. I feel your passion about the same! Many people tell us we are "great" for saving the child we are bringing home but in truth - he is saving us, and we are humbled by just his image in a photograph! Can't wait to see your beautiful boy come home and God bless you!
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