My Birthday Wish...

Thirty four years ago today, a couple from a small town in south Mississippi were blessed with a bundle of joy weighing in at a whopping 8 and half pounds whom they named Bridgett Lynn. I was my momma's first child by birth but second child from her heart. You see she had "adopted" my older brother as her very own and loved him dearly.  He tragically passed away at the young age of 17 from an irresponsible man driving under the influence of alcohol. Adopting those as they were your own who are not from your own blood has been running in my family ever since I can remember, and an open house was the standing rule as we welcomed many people of all ages and backgrounds who needed a meal, a hug, a place to stay or just a listening ear.

As we look forward to and greatly anticipate opening our home to a couple (or few!) little ones who were not born from my body but who were born from our hearts, I cannot help but see them in almost ALL of the everyday circumstances that happen.
--For instance, as I was at the hospital yesterday to celebrate the long-awaited arrival of one of my dearest friend's newborn baby boy, I thought to myself "Did anybody rejoice when they were born?  Did anyone's eyes fill with tears at the joy and preciousness of life created by our Father God? Did anybody gently hold them close and thank God for the mighty purpose for which He had created them?"
--When Chris or I kiss a bobo or pick up a whimpering, wounded little girl, I think to myself "When was the last time someone kissed their bobo? Is there anybody there who is quick to scoop them up into their arms and tell them it will be alright?"
--When we took the girls out last week for a Krispy Kreme date, I thought to myself "The only food treat they probably get is a meal that contains a small bit of meat...and that probably only happens a couple of times a month."
--When we go out to eat, which isn't that often, I get sick and lose my appetite thinking that the amount of money we just paid for a meal that will exit our bodies within 24 hours could literally feed a child for nearly an entire month in Ethiopia.
--When I take the girls over to our friend's house for a playdate, I think to myself "When was the last time they left the grounds of the orphanage? Or if they still live with their family, have they ever happily played with friends on a fun swing set out in a big backyard?"
--When I see the girls playing together so sweetly and taking up for each other from a mean kid on the playground, I think to myself "Man I can't wait for these two to love on their new siblings and show them what it means to be part of a forever family."
--When I met an Eritrean woman (Eritrea is Ethiopia's northern neighboring country) the other day whose family fled the civil war that happened years ago in that area, I think to myself "Did that conflict affect my children's birth family? Did their parents and grandparents suffer any harm from the violence?"
--When Chris hugs me in front of Evienne and Elianna, I think "Have they ever seen parents who show affection to each other and strive to give their children an example of a marriage that is worthy to one day have themselves?"
--When we get ready to put the girls to bed each evening, EVERY SINGLE NIGHT I think "Did someone brush their teeth, dress them in pajamas, read them a story, pray with them, dole out multiple "this is the last" hugs and kisses, tuck them snug as a bug in a rug with clean sheets and a soft quilt?"
--When I think about the celebration of one's day of birth, such as mine today, I can't help but grieve over all these thoughts of their "have not's". This year my birthday wish is to celebrate it with my future children piled up in my lap and wrapped in my arms as I hold them tightly and whisper in their little ears that not another year will go by that their own birthday is not celebrated with great and exuberant jubilee, that not another year will go by that there is nobody to smother them with bedtime kisses and tuck them tightly into a warm and soft bed, that not another year will go by that they don't have the chance to see parents who love one another and love them no matter what they look like or how they behave, that they will have to live in fear of the safety of their loved ones, that they will not know the feeling of belonging to a forever family, that they will not have friends who play with them and love them, that their tiny bellies will sting with hunger pains, that they will not experience fun little treats such as a mommy-daughter or daddy-son donut date, that they will not have a parent who kisses their bobos and lovingly places a bandaid over them, that not another year will go by that their little lives will not be poured into and over by someone who believes that they were fearfully and wonderfully created with an eternal purpose and significance.
Yes, this is my birthday wish!  Anybody got a buttercream icing-covered cake topped with 34 candles that I can blow out?