But the sound that kept ringing in their ears and the look that haunted their hearts was the moment when Vlad looked at them inquisitively and said in broken English and heavy Slavic accent, “Why not you adopt me?”

A deeper reflection makes us think, “Why would they make this request? What hope does it reveal in their thinking for the child in mind?”

She didn’t know how dark it would be inside, how long it would take to get to the bottom, how many turns it had, or how the ending would be. But she took a leap of faith, and she went.

This Sunday morning the great Physician had exactly the right prescription and it came in the form of this handsome young boy, Maverick.

We need to understand that our work in helping place children into Christian homes is just a part of our work. At times, we have heard that all we care about is the babies. This just isn’t the case. In fact, it’s so much more than the babies.

In the middle of this deep and tense topic and circumstance, some people brought children to see Jesus. The disciples appear indignant at the impropriety and inappropriate intrusion of children in this moment. Not so for the Master, however.

Being a part of God’s family is like having a seat at the table. He keeps adding to the family. He keeps loving us and providing for us. One day, our family will get to spend eternity together.

Today, I’ve lost my kids to the safety of a large family that loves them and has sacrificed to bring them home. It isn’t heaven, but it sure feels like a sneak peek.