this is a birth story of sorts, but it isn't birth in the way that most of the stories i post here are births. there was no physical labor, no crowning or breaking water, no placentas or cord-cuttings. but this is a birth of another son into a family by adoption.
owen is 20 months old at the time of this birth. he was born and lived -- until this yesterday -- in china. his mama and daddy had a burning fire in their heart for the orphan, and that led them to seek to bring one into family. they chose owen, they fought for him, they labored for him, they endured a long and indefinite paper pregnancy, and then they went to get him and brought him home.
though it would have been AMAZING to be in China with them, for that first moment they laid eyes on their boy in real life, that wasn't practical. so the next best thing was to meet them at the airport. this isn't something they were expecting. in fact, they expected to arrive quietly under the midnight skies and slip home without much fanfare. but some of their people thought they deserved a welcoming committee, and so there we were.
after being greeted and prayed over by friends and family, they returned home where their two other sons -- Jude and Isaac -- were going to be woken from their sleep to meet their new brother. i followed them there, too.
pray for this family as they transition, and especially for owen as his heart grieves what he's left behind. pray his heart will be open to receiving his new family.