This side of 2 years

So we commented a while back on the 2 year milestone we passed as a family of six. I thought you might find it interesting to note that as of this month, Max has been with us longer than any other set of care providers in his short little life.

We just passed Orphanage # 3 as his longest running source of food and stability. The orphanage he was in when we met him, his third of four that he called home during the seven years he lived in Russia. We think we counted as many as seven sets of Russian care providers who housed him, making us his eighth set. But who knows how many people cared for him off of his official record. Strangers who passed him on the street and turned a kind eye toward him for just a moment. People who played their own little part in keeping him alive until our names were called.

First off we’d just like to tip our hats to all those who came before us, surely God has raised a community to shelter this child. Two really, his first in Russia, and his new found one here in America. To you we say “thanks for doing what you could for our son”.

Secondly we can only wonder if our heroic milestone means anything to him at all. We’d like to think that we’ve proved ourselves trustworthy by now. We’d like to think he knows he no longer has any reason to fear rejection. That he no longer thinks we’re just a stepping stone in his path towards a “real family”. That we aren’t going to give up on him and send him away. That whether he likes it or not, he really is stuck with us until we all go see Jesus face to face.

These are the truths that I’ve been begging him to accept since the beginning. Truths he hasn’t yet been able to process.  Truths he may not be able to process for some time to come.

But truths we will continue to pray over him as we ask God for a revelation on our son’s behalf. Please God show what a family really is. And help him to forgive those who’ve failed him in the past.