Day 8 - Aaron's Gotcha Day

Six months ago, 

I fell in love with a little boy,  

And then he died.  

Moments after we heard the news that this beautiful Baby Boy 

we had intended to bring home had instead gone to his Heavenly Home, 

we were presented with a second chance.

And we took it.  

Since that day, I have repeatedly asked myself the same questions, 

because the death of that little boy put a fire in my heart.  

Because while we were marking off the days until we could bring him home, he was waiting here: 

Would we get there in time?

Would we be too late?

    (Oh ye of little faith...)

   His timing is always perfect.

This is Aaron's Story.

*********

Aaron's Gotcha Day actually began the day before.

 Paul, Lilly, Haven, and Becky took a short flight from Haven's province to Guangzhou, where they would be claiming Aaron.  

Something we have learned about Haven is that she is a total ham, 

and she makes friends very easily.  

Here she is befriending This Nice Lady:

And This Nice Lady's baby:  

Oh, and this woman, 

whose phone Haven needed to borrow, just for a minute: 

Then it was time to fly.  

Once on board, Haven put on her shades 

and made a few calls.

       

And then went back to 

talking to This Lady.

Once in Guangzhou, they took a van over to the new hotel 

that they would be calling "Home" for the next two weeks. 

The next morning, 

they killed a little time touring the city 

and checking out the hotel gardens.  

And having some snacks.

(Girl can eat.)

Then 2 o'clock came, and it was time to go!

After a short taxi ride, 

they arrived at the office to meet our boy.  

In this particular office, there is a famous colorful curtain where the children are hidden away until it is time to present them to their new families.  

On the other side of that curtain
waits our Future.

All of the sudden, 

he is brought out into his Daddy's waiting arms.  

He cries, which is such a good sign.  

And he meets his two sisters, 

who have been waiting to get their hands on him 
for a long, long time.  

Later back in the room while on Facetime, 

I watch as Paul bathes and dresses our new son.  

After Daddy slips a new shirt over Aaron's head, 

Haven checks the sleeve length and pats his arm approvingly.  

This is what you do when you are a Little Person

and you have just put a new shirt on.

  

You see, this boy looks like she does, which she finds unbelievable.  

There are other dwarfs!  

And while we are all over the moon for him, she knows how to love him better than any of us do.  

We will have to learn from her.

After Aaron met everyone, Paul was able to take a picture with the Half The Sky nanny who worked with Aaron once a week.  

This woman gave our son hope in a hopeless place.

Paul signed his name next to the picture of his oldest son, 

and a family was made.

Lilly was so proud of her new brother, 

so Daddy let her be the one to wheel him out.

They headed back to the room, where Aaron was kind enough 

to share his new toys with his sisters.  

After his bath, I sat here on the other side of the world and marveled at my son from an iPad screen.  

We all did.  

You see, this boy is a miracle.  

We have always believed in what Jesus can do if He wills it so, 

despite all of the warnings...

"His cognitive delays may be permanent."

"He may never walk."  

"He does not smile."

But this is our oldest son, 

who will carry our family name and the hope of Jesus Christ wherever he goes.  

And his story has only just begun.

For four days, this boy stayed true to his file and pouted his way through every single moment.  

No smiles.

He moved, ate, and behaved mechanically, with no expression on his face.  

Even the spinning slide couldn't crack this kid. 

As the pictures rolled in of my stoic boy, 

I wondered what it was going to take.  

Was he in there?  

In the dozens of pictures we received from his orphanage, 

we had only seen him smile once last year.  

Was it gone?  Were we too late?

My son's heart was broken.

But we have seen this before.

And we know The Healer.

And so, 

I prayed for Jesus to heal this son 

as He had healed my last.

And He DID.

And He DOES.  

And He WILL.

And as I wait upon the Lord to complete the great work He has begun in this child, 

I am certain of one thing:

Our Father is with us,

and He never gives up on us.  

He heals the broken-hearted,

And He binds up their wounds.

I am overwhelmed 

with the expectation 

of the joy

that is headed

this way.

And you?

You are this boy.

And He came for you.

This post is dedicated

to ALL of my sons...

And the Fathers

Who care for them

While I wait.

***

"We care for orphans

not because we are rescuers.

We care for orphans 

because we are the rescued."

(David Platt)