God prints

I didn't know it would choke me up the way it did!  Opening a package I had been expecting ... the last package of our research project for Maliah's orphanage arrived in the mail I suppose on Saturday.  Too busy to check it, I was blessed with an Easter surprise.

Tearing into the package, a tiny little yellow outfit was wrapped in plastic paper.  Opening it carefully, an ache grew in my tummy.  All of a sudden, my little girl sitting next to me became an orphan in my mind again ... all of a sudden, I pictured her lying in a metal crib with a plywood bottom wearing these very tiny little clothes.  She was so tiny once ... so tiny and yet I missed it ... I didn't know her then!

Sunday was a blessing indeed.  An amazing Mommy on our yahoo group for children from our orphanage organized this research project a long time ago.  Not truly knowing what we'd find, she asked if anyone wanted to jump on board.  There was a financial commitment but really, it was penny's to what we would find over the next year or so.  I am SOO thankful we said YES!  Pictures of the orphanage, her medical file, the medical report and finding report, video, video of Maliah's finding spot, cultural pictures, a map translated of Xuwen today, traditional wedding hair pins, pictures of the city and of "day life" in Xuwen, festivals, and more (3,500 or so to be exact), a traditional baby carrier that the woman wear and 2 pearls from her city.  And yesterday that final package arrived with a sweet note about Maliah's "finding clothes" (to which is her story and I will refrain from sharing) and a precious little yellow outfit that "Xu Xiao Wen" wore often during her 10 months stay.

As we sat together on the couch, I explained to Maliah that these were "her treasures" and that Mommy was keeping them for her for when she was "big like me".  She smiled big not truly understanding what any of that meant.  Oh, she'll talk about her adoption, having a birth Mommy and being Chinese ... but at the end of the day, at 5, how could she truly comprehend the depth of these treasures and understand what they'll mean to her someday?  At 37, I'm still trying to take it in.  Some days I forget that the daughter I love, that the daughter that I forget is adopted, the daughter that I forget is Chinese ... because she's just MINE, has a story that began before I was a part of it.

As we perused through the papers and letters from Mrs. Linda, there was one last thing.  This one took me over the edge.  My eyes filled with tears and a lump in my throat replaced my words ....

Maliah's footprint.  Maliah's baby footprint from her medical report.  Now, I have all 3 of my baby's footprints.  Now, I can show Maliah just how big she was too when "she was a baby".  As we sized up her big girl foot next to her itty bitty foot, she giggled.  Mommy choked back the tears.  Look how big she was!  My girl was indeed getting "all growd up".

So this Easter, the Lord blessed me with a surprise.  As I celebrated his resurrection day ... the day he gave us LIFE ... he left me with a footprint reminder of the LIFE he had given us!  These our his God Prints ... wrapped up in a package complete with a footprint!