Expectant December
This is the first December in a few years that we are NOT expecting a new baby.
In 2010, we were 8 months into the adoption process for Israel, with a long wait list ahead of us. That Christmas was hard for me because both of my sisters found out they were pregnant after we started the adoption process, and had approaching due dates. (It's a lot of fun having 3 two year olds now!) I was reminded often that pregnancy and adoption are very different! I wanted so badly to have a little one in my arms, and prayed that the time would go quickly. I had no idea that our Israel Biruk was not even close to being ready for us!
On December 2, 2011, we received a referral for a little baby named Biruk! Our sweet boy was just a few weeks old. That Christmas was so sweet as we started to shop for a specific son! We anticipated that the turnaround for him would be quick, having no idea that it would be almost six months later that he would be home forever. The Christmas season was hard in the way that we missed our son and wanted him home, but sweet because we finally had a child to pray for by name and face. He was sick a lot at Hannah's Hope so that was really difficult to be away from him. We got our first smiling picture of him on Christmas Day 2011!
December 16, 2012, we found out I was pregnant with Edith! I was in quite the shock the entire month. We decided to tell our family when we saw them for Christmas, but didn't announce the news for several months to the "public" :). It was such a sweet celebration having our long-awaited Israel home, and now knowing that our family was still not "complete" without the new baby!
So here we are in 2013, with no intentions of adding to our family anytime soon! We feel very content with our full house right now. But I'm reminded that every Christmas is an expectant one. Will and I were reading in our Advent book today by John Piper, and he wrote about how Israel was waiting expectantly for the Messiah. As believers, we get to celebrate the long-awaited Christ coming to earth as a baby, to save the sins of those who believe in Jesus. We are reminded each year that Christ has come to save us! The best kind of hope and expectation for us! So although we are not expecting any baby McGees next year, we are reminded that Christ came first as a babe to fulfill prophecy and to save the sins of those who believe. And we can have hope and expectation that He will come again!
What are you hoping and expecting this year?
In 2010, we were 8 months into the adoption process for Israel, with a long wait list ahead of us. That Christmas was hard for me because both of my sisters found out they were pregnant after we started the adoption process, and had approaching due dates. (It's a lot of fun having 3 two year olds now!) I was reminded often that pregnancy and adoption are very different! I wanted so badly to have a little one in my arms, and prayed that the time would go quickly. I had no idea that our Israel Biruk was not even close to being ready for us!
On December 2, 2011, we received a referral for a little baby named Biruk! Our sweet boy was just a few weeks old. That Christmas was so sweet as we started to shop for a specific son! We anticipated that the turnaround for him would be quick, having no idea that it would be almost six months later that he would be home forever. The Christmas season was hard in the way that we missed our son and wanted him home, but sweet because we finally had a child to pray for by name and face. He was sick a lot at Hannah's Hope so that was really difficult to be away from him. We got our first smiling picture of him on Christmas Day 2011!
December 16, 2012, we found out I was pregnant with Edith! I was in quite the shock the entire month. We decided to tell our family when we saw them for Christmas, but didn't announce the news for several months to the "public" :). It was such a sweet celebration having our long-awaited Israel home, and now knowing that our family was still not "complete" without the new baby!
So here we are in 2013, with no intentions of adding to our family anytime soon! We feel very content with our full house right now. But I'm reminded that every Christmas is an expectant one. Will and I were reading in our Advent book today by John Piper, and he wrote about how Israel was waiting expectantly for the Messiah. As believers, we get to celebrate the long-awaited Christ coming to earth as a baby, to save the sins of those who believe in Jesus. We are reminded each year that Christ has come to save us! The best kind of hope and expectation for us! So although we are not expecting any baby McGees next year, we are reminded that Christ came first as a babe to fulfill prophecy and to save the sins of those who believe. And we can have hope and expectation that He will come again!
What are you hoping and expecting this year?
Last picture is just perfect!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing! We have 2 bio kids but are waiting to adopt thru the state- your comment about how different it is to wait for adoption vs. pregnancy got me teared up. It is beautiful and encouraging to read your story about your son and how he came to you. Reminds me that the wait is worth it, and all in God's hands.
ReplyDeleteI'm expecting God to continue meeting my needs — not my wants. and there is much I'm hoping for, of course. but I'm preferring to focus on the expecting! (ps. thanks for joining my adoption month link-up!)
ReplyDeletelove this bekah-boo and love your sweet family so much!!
ReplyDelete