Longs. Waits. Pursues.

As I sat to write this post I realized that most of those reading this will know more details of our son than I gave in the one and only other post on this blog, but some may  not.  We received matching approval the end of November and immigration approval the end of January.  We're anticipating going to pick him up some time in May, but the exact time remains to be seen.  And while I can not share pictures publicly until the adoption is finalized, I can guarantee you that he is adorable!  Our sweet boy is 1.5, has Down Syndrome and was described by his social worker as an active little boy who moves swiftly.

The end of our pre-adoption journey is coming to a close and the hard work of real life as a family of six will soon begin.  It's a journey for me that, in one sense, has been 20+ years in the making and in the technical "paper pregnancy" sense has been 17 going on 18 months.

I just returned from a women's retreat where Kim McLean and Devon O'Day spoke.  Kim briefly spoke about prevenient grace which is a technical way of speaking about the grace given us by God before we are adopted into His family.  She said He longs, waits for and pursues us.  Longs. Waits. Pursues.  Those three words struck me as I sat there in the process of my own longing, waiting and pursuing.

In Luke 15:1-7 Jesus tells what has been called the parable of the lost sheep.

"Now the tax collectors and 'sinners' were all gathering around to hear him.  But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered 'This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.'  Then Jesus told them this parable: 'Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them.  Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?  And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home.  Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.'  I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent."  

Growing up I saw a painting of the shepherd in search of his lost sheep and to me that search was devoid of emotion.  The emotion came at the finding of the sheep.  The emotion was not in the process, but in the discovery.  And then I heard the words longs, waits, pursues and suddenly the picture of the search was infused with emotion.  My heart is full of joy with my children at home, but at the same time it aches with longing for my son who is half a world away.  Our wait is not a passive wait, but is filled with preparation for his arrival.  He will be our son because of a purposeful pursuit that has taken much time and effort.  And so it is with God.  Longs. Waits. Pursues.  That is what Christ has done for those that have been adopted into His family.  That is what Christ is doing right now for you who are not yet apart of His family.  I have only gotten a glimpse of the depth of emotion in those three words that God feels.  Stop and see His longing, His waiting and His pursuit of you.