Today I witnessed an adoption.

You all know that wasn’t my first – I absolutely love watching the court validate and make official what God has knit together between a family and a child.  It’s beautiful.  It’s a living picture of how He loves us.

But today was different.  Today, I witnessed a little girl I loved deeply, who was my daughter for just over a year, be knit forever into a family I adore.  Sweet M (now Claire Andrea!) is forever my good friend Lisa’s daughter and I couldn’t be happier for them.

But I couldn’t help but be choked up bearing witness to the official proceedings.  Walking into the courthouse it felt like the other adoptions I have attended, until I walked up to Lisa to greet her, hugged her extra tight, we both choked up and my eyes filled with tears, feeling the weight of mama emotions the day held for both of us in different ways.  I can not begin to explain how right it felt to watch the baby I snuggled what feels like so long ago, who has turned into a sweet, spunky, beautiful spitfire of a little girl with her forever family.  Today, even through the emotions of it all, was a both a culmination and beginning for Claire.

Joy born out of loss.

And it was so beautiful.

Even through the cloudy vision of my tear-filled eyes I could see the radiance on the faces of her family.  The pain of letting her go a year ago has come full circle.  She is the adored, longed for daughter of their hearts.  And I am so thrilled to have been used by God to be a tiny bit of her story.

 

After the court proceedings, it was party time.  I picked up some of my other kiddos and we headed over to their house for snacks and cake.  It was SO fun to see her interacting with Sam, Jonah, Hannah and Bekkah.  Not as siblings anymore, but buddies….the best of friends.  It did my heart so much good to not see my kids hurting and longing for her to be their “sister” anymore, but to authentically enjoy playing with her and for her to not be confused and scared when we come over to see her, but to know security in her family but somehow remembering that we have a special bond.  I love it.  In my mind I can envision park play dates, birthday parties, sleepovers, etc. as these kiddos all grow up in families as close as ours.

It is so beautiful.

Thank you Lisa, for allowing us to be a part of your amazing day today.  And for acknowledging how special this whole situation is.  I’m so thankful for you. God really does build the best families.