In these last two stories we've been focusing on the parenting side of adoption because there's a new memo from Inter-Country Adoption that we're not allowed to post photos or identifying information on babies at the little children's home.

These stories, though, are just as moving and heart-rending as the ones about a child finding a forever-family. The same God who "sets the lonely in families" (Psalm 67:6) also "settles the childless in their home as a happy mother/father of children" (Psalm 113:9).

The story of Hannah in I Samuel has always made a deep impact on me. She didn't have any children and prayed bitterly to the Lord, "If you will give me a child, I will give him to you all the days of his life" (I Samuel 1:11).

Samuel, who was born a year later, became a great leader for his people. And that cycle of sur- render and blessing is repeated in every exper- ience of paren- ting.



Adoption is a long wait -- and more uncer- tainty, more anxiety than you would think a human soul could bear. It's been five long years for Rick and Kath- erine. They have hung on every hope, waited into despair, and persevered on through. They're here now and have their forever-son--finally.

But Kath- erine de- scribes the moment when, like Hannah, she gave in. On her knees before God she prayed, "Lord, if you don't want us to have a child, your will and not ours. I give him to you."

There's a sense in which every child baptism or dedication reenacts that moment of surrender -- and every moment of parenting is the grace of caring for a child of God's. But adoption is special. Because orphaned children are special to God, and because adoptive parents put so much into the years-long prayer to finally have a child of their own. Rick and Katherine, our hats are off to you--and to all adoptive moms and dads. May the Lord make good his promise to you.