{Shine}

“I believe in God like I believe in the sun. It’s not because I see it, but because of it I see everything else” C.S. Lewis

Amy and I view this world through a lens or filter that has at its focal point the reality of Christ and of God’s work of redemption in time and history. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is not just the core of Christianity; it’s the focal point of all history. Because of Christ and the reality of the resurrection we as believers get to revel in the grace and mercy of God’s bringing a rag tag group of sinners together (“misfits” as Flannery O’Connor would say) into His family through the Cross. This is the lens we hope to cultivate in Evelyn’s heart and mind as she tries to make sense of this world and all its worries.

This is the backdrop of our wrestling through one particular document we received lately. We received Evelyn’s legal papers from Seoul, namely her birth certificate and the document from her birth mother stating her desire to officially and irrevocably give our adoption agency custody of Evelyn for the purpose of adoption. We saw her birth mother’s fingerprint and signature. There is a real woman in South Korea who gave her daughter to us. To make this adoption a reality someone had to sacrificially give a part of herself for us to have joy. We are fully dependent on the gift of another. Am I reading too much into this? The Gospel seems to peak its head around every corner we encounter.

We have prayed for Evelyn’s birth mother’s wellbeing numerous times. Perhaps the Lord will redeem her in due time, and in Glory, she may once again be able to see her daughter.

“For all that we struggle

For all we pretend

It don't come down to nothing

Except Love in the end

And ours is a road

That is strewn with goodbyes

But as it unfolds

As it all unwinds

Remember your soul is the one thing

You just can't compromise

Take my hand

We're gonna go where we can shine….” David Gray