One Year
With Mylie
We met Mylie
Yan Gleason almost one year ago, in a cold, bare hotel
lounge room in China. The floors were a plain grey linoleum
tile; two sturdy burgundy vinyl couches stood on opposing
sides of the room, and a few aluminum clad windows gave us
an unspectacular view of the city streets below. Nothing in
that room gave any indication of the wondrous, vibrant joy
that one little girl was soon to bring into our lives.
One year
ago, I didn’t expect to have this overwhelming sense of
awareness in my heart that right now there are thousands of
orphans worldwide and they desperately desire to be loved.
I didn’t expect to want to shout from the rooftops what a
blessing adoption is. I didn’t expect to hurt when I
see kind, loving families who have never opened their hearts
to the possibility of adoption. I didn’t expect to
want to someday have a dozen children running around my
home, feeling safe and secure knowing that they have a mom
and dad who love them dearly. I didn’t expect
such a strong desire to lose the attitude of “what about
me?”
After one
year with Mylie, all I can think about is “what about
THEM?” What about that child, the one with the
sad eyes, devoid of all hope? What about that child
who has never known love, never felt love, never had the
opportunity to give love? What about that child,
what about THEM…the ones who have been left behind?
When we quit
asking ourselves “What about me?”, and start thinking
“What about them?” our lives open up, our hearts open
up, and suddenly the world is filled with color. Brilliant;
life changing, soul changing color. We don’t want to go
back to that black and white existence. We want to press
on, hand in hand with God and ask “What next?”
After all,
He created us. He loves us. He knows us inside and out.
He knows that He didn’t design us to seek our comfort
first. He designed us to discover that the greatest joys of
our life happen when we serve others. It is our job to
listen and obey His voice deep in our souls that says “Go
child, this is what I made you for.” Then, and only then,
will we feel fulfilled, feel that sense of joy deep in our
souls, and the peace we have never known.
For Dave and
me, adoption has not just been about adding another child to
our family. It has changed our lives, deepened our hearts,
and opened our eyes to the need to listen to God’s call.
God does not
call us all to adopt. But I’m asking you today, if He calls
you, please listen. God does not call us all to
contribute financially to an adoption. But I’m asking you
today, if he calls you, please listen.
After one
year with Mylie, my most treasured time of the day is when
she folds her hands at night, and begins to thank God in her
sweet little voice for her mommy, her daddy, her sisters,
and her home. Each and every time I listen to her, I am
so very glad, that we listened to His call.
Kris and Dave
Gleason – Danielle, MacKenzie, and Mylie
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