As I rocked her to sleep tonight I held her a little tighter. Tears streaming down my face: a moment with just me, this precious little one, and the sweet holy spirit…this night is different…this night is extra special…this night is absolutely beautiful!!
As I woke up this morning I will admit I was nervous. Nervous for Claudena, nervous for myself…and fervently praying that the right choice (God’s perfect plan) for Claudena would be made with much love and grace. Today Claudena saw her parents for the first time in 5 months….As they walked through the door I watched her mom look with anticipation to see this little miracle…her baby!! Oh how my heart broke for Claudena’s mom…and still does. For over an hour I watched momma and papa try to interact with their little girl. I watched as they happily watched their daughter walk for the first time in front of them. I watched as they listened to Claudena speak for the first time, and in many ways I felt like I was in this outside realm. Wondering what Claudena was thinking, how she was feeling….continually praying for this mother’s heart .Today I watched parents praise the Lord for giving their daughter life.
And then today I saw love in it’s purest form!! The kind of love that takes your breath away and very few people will ever understand or know. Today I saw God’s sacrificial love unfold as two parents looked me in the eyes and said they knew they could not take care of their daughter and wanted her to have a better life…a life of GOOD health and filled with love!
As the paperwork was being drawn up I can’t express the feeling in that room. The sense of relief…the unspeakable words that seemed to flow from their eyes. Today as Megan pointed out was our “Gotcha” day. The Lord has brought this sweet child into my life for me to take care of and I am now her legal guardian!!! What a joy, what a privilege, what a day!
Tonight the Lord continues to dip his paintbrush into a different color and ever so gently makes another stroke that changes the entire picture! Tonight our lullaby is different…silent, solemn, peaceful, and FULL of gratitude to the ultimate Father!!!
Where Love Abides 