I was so fortunate to capture this moment last year during our Vacation Bible School.  Robert and I kept the toddlers, and Ruthie had just been adopted from an Asian country by a family in our church.

Adopting a child from overseas is a grueling process, at best! We saw her family go through tons of paperwork, hundreds of visits, thousands of questions, and that was just to get started!  We prayed with them through the interviews, the waiting, the red tape, more waiting, and finally – a trip to Ruthie’s country.  Even then, it took many days to get her, go before government agencies, formally adopt her, and then get to take that wonderful trip home.

Although very shy at first, Ruthie quickly warmed up to her new family, her new home, and her new church family.  We were playing and singing to music and she just broke out in this dance!  And why not!  She had gone, in a very short time, from being completely alone in a cold, overcroweded orphanage where her basic needs were barely met, to a wonderful world of love, care, beauty and happiness.  She was WANTED.  And she was ADOPTED!

This is such a beautiful picture of God’s love for us!  He has gone through the ultimate to adopt us – the death of His only Son, Jesus, on the cross.  He has brought us from a VERY far away country, the land where sin and the devil reign.  He also had to wait – longer on some of us than others – for us to come to Him.  And just like Ruthie’s family took her before the ruler of her country and said “yes, we want her”, Jesus has brought each of His children before the King of Kings, and said, “yes, Father, I want them, because I died for them”,  What love!  I am wanted, and I have been adopted..I believe I need to dance!