The New Has Come

Today we celebrate her adoption day.

The day when, one year ago, we walked into the civil affairs office and sat opposite the residing magistrate.

We answered his questions.
Made our vows.
Gave our signatures.
And sealed our documents with our prints.

It was finished.

We had satisfied the requirements of the government and the adoption was final.

Her old life was forever done away with.
Her new life had begun.

And she seized her new life with every bit of determination that I've come to expect from her.

There was the bike.
The check-up at the OT.
The piano recital.
The swim lesson.
The final meet.

It has been quite a year watching her blossom.
But as amazing as it was to witness all these accomplishments, the best was yet to come.

Early on, she learned of Jesus.
And her love for Him took off like wildfire.
She was captivated by the stories.
(And if you've never read the story of the 10 plagues to an eight year old hearing it for the very first time, you have no idea what you're missing.
Eyes.Wide.As.Saucers.)
We watched as she earnestly tried to live out His teachings in her own life.

Months passed and she began to inquire more.
Specifically about communion.
And baptism.
She wanted to know if she could be baptized.

We talked through it with her.
And then one Sunday in October she stepped up on the stage at church.
She had an index card filled with symbols and stick figures prompting her with what she would say.
What she would say.....her testimony.

How she had not heard of Jesus before.
But how her Daddy read the Bible at night after dinner.
And how she had watched a movie about Jesus in her native language and understood that He died on the cross for her.
How He took her bad heart and give her His perfect one.
How Jesus was baptized by John the Baptizer and she wanted to be baptized too.

I had asked her if she wanted to add a verse and she said yes.
"This verse," she said.
1 John 3:16
"This is how we know what love is:  Jesus Christ laid down his life for us."
She knew it by heart.
And after reciting it on stage, she made her way over to the water...
and was baptized.

He had satisfied the requirements of the Law on her behalf.
Her adoption as His child was final.

The old life had gone.
The new had come.

 

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                                           ^{2 Corinthians 5:17}