As we welcome the first day of spring we enter the season for rebirth, growth, beauty, and all things new. The journey of adoption brings hope and new beginnings to families and their child.
The Meares family recently brought their daughter Cana home from a small Eastern Asian country. At Cana’s farewell party, one of her caregivers gave a letter to Cana’s new family. Included in the letter were some verses written by Paul in Philippians. “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14.
The caregiver then went on to explain that Cana’s life had turned a page now. Though her story started with pain and hardship, she now has a forever family to walk alongside her. The letter encouraged Cana to press on toward Christ in the new life that she has been given. Cana is not the only one who has been given this new life with a forever family though.
This is a new beginning for the Meares family as well as their family has grown and changed for the better. Cana’s mother shared:
“Our lives have dramatically changed in the best way. Adoption is not easy, but in the challenges, we have this opportunity to pursue Christ and cling to Him in a way that we never had before. Cana is a daily reminder of God’s grace in our lives and a beautiful picture of this new life and journey that God has brought us to. We are more alive than ever before as we see the hope and goodness that we have access to in Christ. He makes all things new and this new journey is one that we are humbled and excited to take with Him.”