Twelve years ago, John and I boarded a plane to fly to China to meet our son. We were excited, nervous, and maybe even a little scared.
When John and I were getting married, we had talked about adoption. But I don’t think it ever occurred to me that we would become parents for the first time on the other side of the world.
It was daunting, and I didn’t feel fully prepared, but I had never felt so sure we were right where God wanted us to be.
I often think about how Mary and Joseph also became parents in an unfamiliar place, far from their families. God was with them, just as He was with us. There is a poignant beauty to being alone and yet not at all alone.
Emmanuel. God is with us.
The Advent season always brings back memories of our first adoption journey, how we read books and packed and prepared to meet our little one, all the time knowing we could never be fully prepared. And yet we were ready because God was already there. He was walking with us, joining us for every step.
He filled in the gaps. He was present to us through the people we encountered. He was with us on the dark, sad nights and on the happy sunny days, too.
There was sorrow and sadness and struggle. There was also incredible peace and hope.
And there was so much grace. So much love. So much joy.
The whole trip was transformative and miraculous and life-giving. Becoming parents isn’t easy. But being parents to our son is a magnificent gift we are able to unwrap every single day.
Every Advent as we prepare ourselves for the coming of Christ, God asks each of us to open ourselves up to new ways to encounter Him. No matter what Advent brings, this journey will change us. On Christmas morning, we will be different. As excited as we are for the birth of this Child, and as much as we try to prepare, we cannot know how He will be born in our hearts. But He will.
And God will be with each of us on the journey. As we light the candles on the wreath and count down the days to Christmas, He will be bestowing grace, extending peace, and preparing us to encounter joy in a whole new way.
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