My Ebenezer

We celebrated the finalization of our baby's adoption yesterday. What a great day with family and dear friends in the courtroom with us as A receieved, legally, his new name! While he has been our son from June 1st, this step was more significant than I imagined. The idea of adoption and being given a new name....well...it just hit me with the parallels of us being adopted by God. He gives us new names, too. Previously our names were "sinner, pit-dweller, gossiper, thief, murderer...."

But now...

Our names are "holy, dearly loved, pure ones, children of GOD!" Oh yes, receiving a new name is significant indeed.

And of course at year's end I can't help but reflect on 2010. It is hard to believe that one year ago adoption was not even on our radar. Indulge me while I relive some of the events leading us to our son.

Mid January, 2010, we were sitting in our church service and listening to our pastor speak. The only part of his message that I remember was when he said that sometimes setting aside our own plans to follow the will of God can be "excruciating." And then an overwhelming feeling came over me that we were supposed to adopt. Now. Understand me when I say that this does not normally happen for me! (wish it would more) I fully believe that God speaks to people, but I have never had him speak so clearly into my life as he did that day and in the days following.

Without giving every detail, let me just tell you that it was extremely clear over the next week that we were to adopt. A baby. Transracially. Using this agency. God used specific people in our lives including my father-in-law, oldest son, and even our pediatrician and a work acquaintance. By week's end both hubby and I were feeling like if we did not pursue this it would be like giving God the middle finger. It was that clear.

I want to remember this year vividly for the rest of my life. It is my Ebenezer! (Fitting for Christmas, I know :>) I am no theologian, so for those of you who are, I apologize for my surface knowledge of this idea. From my understanding, an Ebenezer stone was a biblical way of marking a place for remembrance. It means "stone of help" and signifies God's real and holy presence in our lives and in specific situations. In some ways, our son himself is my Ebenezer. I cannot look at him without acknowleding God's real and holy presence in my life. Even in the many, many days when things are hard and I'm starting to fall apart.

Well, speaking of my Ebenezer, he's awake now and needs his mama. I can say now, with confidence, that no one else is his mama besides this woman sitting here remembering......Thank you, God. You gave me a living, breathing "stone of remembrance" testifying to your holiness, help, and LOVE!