Redemption

From Ed:

As a Christian, when I think about the word redemption, I think primarily of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.  I have been redeemed, from being an enemy of God to being adopted into His family.  That is the most important meaning of the word to me, but there are other examples of redemption that come to my mind as well.

I will never forget an experience we had when Tina and I first joined a community group at New Harvest Church.  I had not yet made a decision to follow Jesus and was still struggling with many questions.  One of the couples we had just met opened up to the group and graciously shared an incredibly painful chapter in their lives.  They told us how they lost their only son at a very young age after a long and difficult battle with cancer.  It was a heartbreaking story and when they were finished,  the eyes of all who heard their story were filled with tears.  As I looked at the couple sharing their story, I noticed something different.  Their faces were absolutely glowing as they continued to talk about their love for Jesus through it all.  It was clear that they remembered every detail, and they knew it had been a painful journey, but God had somehow redeemed their pain.  They had experienced healing and praised God for it.  They were not bitter, but thankful.  I found their faith inspiring and this experience helped point me towards Jesus in my own walk.  I took note that they believed in a God that suffered with them, and could redeem even the worst pain and ultimately turn it into a victory. 

Last week in Haiti, I saw God at work in the same way.  We heard many tragic stories of suffering, but also saw healing taking place.  Pain and suffering were in the process of being redeemed.  There are children the same age as Claire that remember being dropped off at an orphanage by their mothers one day, never to see them again.  Their emotional wounds are slowly healing.  We saw children who had come to the orphanage as infants severely malnourished and close to death, but were thriving now.  There was a story of a child being abandoned by his parents at a young age, having to fend not just for himself,  but also for his younger family members as well.  Now at the crèche, he was safe and in the process of being adopted.  This young man so impressed me with his leadership abilities, and the way he cared for the younger children.  His pain was being redeemed, and he is able to use what he learned during his trial to serve others.  We were so blessed to see two young boys go home with their new parents and we praised God for the new life they were now going to experience.  One of the older girls at the crèche showed Tina a sponsorship letter that she saved.  Tina had written this letter to her months ago and she wanted Tina to know how much she treasured it and kept it close to her.  We saw a new medical clinic almost ready to be opened to serve the children and their community.  We toured a new building for the younger children that is the next project on the list.  This new building will increase capacity and allow more children to have a safe place to live while they wait for their adoptions.  I saw the staff lovingly care for the children and met one of the most amazing and inspiring teachers that I have ever seen.  Everyone from the adoptive parents to every single employee at the crèche were showing the children with words and actions that they are loved and wanted.

I’ve come to learn that while we can’t control what happens to us in life, we can control how we react.  The orphan children that I met have been dealt a very tough hand in life, yet I saw no bitterness or anger.  I saw kindness, compassion, and love instead.  I was asked to lead a discussion with some of the older children about how to succeed in school.  They started out with the expected answers like study hard, good attendance, etc.  I asked what they thought about avoiding conflicts and fighting?  They all got very serious and a young lady, about 13 years old, quickly spoke up and said “you must never fight with another person because they are your brother or your sister”.

I know that our child will likely have some deep emotional wounds that need to be healed.  I don’t expect that it will be an easy path, but I am committed to being a part of her healing process in my role as an adoptive parent.  I’m so happy to be her father.  There aren’t enough words to adequately describe the joy that I felt as I watched Tina read our new daughter a bedtime story and then tuck her in as we kissed her goodnight.  I felt guilt over how many times we’ve done this with Claire and just taken it for granted.  When you only have a week, every moment together is so precious.  We miss our little girl very much right now and pray that she will be home with us very soon.  I thank God for calling us to adoption, and feel very blessed to be part of her life now.    

       

I have come to have faith in a God that is able to heal and redeem.  The Bible is filled with examples of disadvantages transformed into advantages by God - Joseph, Naomi and Ruth, Job, and so many others.  I believe the pain and suffering that Jesus experienced on the cross was redeemed, transformed from a defeat into a victory that we all share as His followers.   

I thank you all so much for following us on this journey.  I am so very grateful for your prayers, support, and the many kind words we have received.  Please believe me that they are effective, and much appreciated.  May God richly bless each and every one of you.

“Learn to do right, seek justice, encourage the oppressed.  Defend the case of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.” – Isaiah 1:17

Teacher LuLu always has this smile on his face!