Maturity has brought fresh questions about adoption and her Bulgarian past. We encourage Grace to embrace with pride and confidence the unique story that is her life. The story that God planned and orchestrated for her before she took her first breath. Some of the questions we expected to be important have not yet come to her consciousness, but others have had more pressing importance.
The first detail she wanted was unexpected-- the time of her birth. But, she rejoiced in knowing the exact time of day that she was born. The next question, "Do I have any other siblings?" was a question that we had expected and dreaded sharing. I had anticipated this information could be troubling, because Grace is such a loving extrovert who counts her brothers as her best friends. (She even begs for a brother, sister, or at least a dog!) I kept wondering, "Will she mourn the loss of those other relationships? Desire contact with people who are unknown to us?" But, in true Grace style, she embraced those new facts with shrieks of happiness. Knowing brought her comfort, pride, and personal affirmation rather than pain. She even begged to call each of her brothers to tell them the good news, "I have 7 siblings," as if this knowledge was a personal gift from her loving, heavenly father. Not once did she ask, "Why did my birth mom keep my Bulgarian siblings and leave me at the orphanage" or "Why didn't she visit me after I left the hospital?" or "Why didn't she want to keep me?" Her faith in God's plan is so genuine that she has not considered those "whys." Yet.
Grace faced her first explanation of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome with the same positive perspective. As Dr. Braddock explained that her birth mother drank during her pregnancy causing her short stature, learning problems, and many medical concerns, I snuggled her close to my side in the small, yellow examining room. I studied her reaction intently, waiting for the pain to register, but it didn't. Without hesitation, she smiled and told the doctor, "Well, she probably drank before she knew I was growing inside her. That can happen, right?" Amazing. She had no anger, animosity, or concern. She simply accepted the information as if she was told that we were having hamburgers for supper. She decided to believe the best possible explanation.
God knew when he brought Grace to us that I needed her as much, or maybe more than she was going to need me. She teaches me daily to rest in God's plan, to look for the good in every person, and to appreciate even the smallest details of life. Her joy is contagious, too. You know, I am truly glad that she has siblings on the other side of the world, and that she is here with me by God's divine handiwork. Thank you, God, for caring about the tiniest details in our lives, even the exact timing of our first breath.
