Good Enough...


A special "tuck-in"...

As Rachel's grasp on English grows, so do the number of stories she shares from inside the orphanage where she spent the first 7 years of her life.... From bedtime routines; to the one toothbrush shared by all the girls her age; to the "pretty dresses" she was never able to wear because her clothes were chosen for her from the shared allotment of correct sizes.  Last night, as I was tucking the girls into bed, Rachel told of a little boy a bit younger than herself, that had far more purple lips and fingers than her own.  "Oh,"  I said, "that little boy needs a Mommy and Daddy who will take him to a doctor that can fix his boo-boo heart, like you!"  "No!" she said emphatically, "He's mean!"  She shared a list of normal little boy infractions that, from her 7 year old eyes, made him "un-adoptable"!  "But he needs a Mommy and Daddy too!",  I insisted!  She grabbed my arm to silence me and began to explain why there was simply no hope for a boy like him...  "In China, they say only if you are a good girl you get a Mommy and Daddy!  If you are mean,... no Mommy and Daddy for you!"

Suddenly I understood why Rachel is so quick to please and so devastated when she senses her actions have been disappointing.  Her approval, her acceptance, and the love she so desperately needs depends on her being the "good girl" she is so determined to be!  I spent the next 15 minutes in the dark of her room, before kissing her goodnight, assuring her of our love, regardless of her behavior!...  She is OURS!  Rachel Hope McCary!  We would always love her... no matter what!!!

I long for the day when she can fully understand the spiritual adoption that is made possible through Jesus to redeem little girls like her!  And yes, even those mischievous little boys that appear to be beyond hope!  It breaks my heart for the millions of orphans that will go to sleep alone tonight... convinced that their lives are beyond redemption because they simply can not measure up!  Jesus died for the least of these and yes, for me... because NONE of us could ever be good enough to merit such love!  Praise God, Jesus was "good enough"!

This is the art project Rachel brought home from school today-
"Don't be mean!"

4 comments:

  1. Thank you for this post. It just opened my eyes to something my son must feel too. Whenever he is in trouble or he thinks I am disappointed with him he always says "Do you still love me?" He was adopted at age 4 and I am certain he was told the same thing. I always reassure him that I will always love him no matter what. It breaks my heart to hear him say this.

    Boy, what these kids have gone through!

    Blessings,
    Jennifer

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  2. This has me in tears. I just don't understand why anyone would tell these kids things like that. It breaks my heart. We leave in 3 days to bring our almost seven year old home from Shanghai. This glimpse of what she too may have heard will help us as we help her understand our love but also the love of her heavenly Father.

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  3. Lori, I cannot begin to tell you how I enjoy reading your blog for more reasons than one; but mainly because of the profoundness of the message of grace & love & forgiveness of Jesus Christ. I don't know if you realize the gift you have of articulating the message of the Gospel through your experiences with your little ones (& just in life in general). Thank you for sharing! My family & I are always blessed by reading your blog.

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