In February of this year our family grew by two when Steven and Luke came to live with us. Tomorrow morning, the 19th of December, 2011, we welcome them into our family permanently in the Homer, Alaska courthouse.
These guys aren’t complicated kids. They don’t understand the size of the world and they don’t know much about the things in it. They don’t know about city buses or traffic rules. They don’t know there are theaters that play ten movies. They don’t know about politics or government. They don’t know about skyscrapers and gangs, borders or the color of skin. They don’t know about much of anything outside their small world. And they don’t care.
Because they know how to survive from what they can find on the beach. They know which sea creature to pull from which rock and that they can eat this one raw, and this one not. They know about fishing and working with their hands. They know about being tough. They know about being hungry and they know what to do about it. These guys know about starting a fire and they can walk outside in the dead of winter in shorts and not be cold. They know how to make do. They know how to make a family out of just the two of them and they know how to stick together. They are survivors in every aspect…and in that way, they make all those worldly “smart” kids…look dumb.
They don’t know big words. And they don’t make big sentences.
But “adoption”…they know that one. It means they are here for good.
The word “adopted”, to these two, is huge. They love to say it. They love to talk about it. They love the way the word “adoption day” rolls from their tongues.
And they like the way that feels. They like the way that sounds. They like the way that…is.
“I will change your name. You shall no longer be called…wounded…outcast…lonely or afraid. I will change your name. Your new name shall be…confidence…joyfulness…Overcoming One…Faithfulness…Friend of God…One Who Seeks My Face.”
