Happy Adoption Day, Ellen Beibei

As I was thinking about the pictures I would post to the blog in honor of Ellen's 12th adoption day, the picture above came to mind for a couple of reasons. This time last year we took Ellen back to Hefei, and the picture (thank you, Lorne) captures Ellen standing near the location where she was "found." It represents the closest to her beginning we could possibly get her to. Yet having said that, we know, and she knows, that long before she was "found," the Lord God had His hand on her life. We have had a few interactions with people lately who imply that Ellen should be forever grateful to us for being her parents, for rescuing her in a sense. Yet she knows that it was not we who did the rescuing. We are never able to rescue ourselves, in spite of what we might think. She knows that God had her resting very securely in His hand and that He gave us the privilege and honor of being her parents for life. She owes us nothing. She owes her Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer all the glory and the honor. We thank God for rescuing us from a childless future!! And for bestowing on us the very great blessing of a precious treasure named "Beibei." Thanks for being our daughter, Ellen. We love and admire you very much, along with the rest of your family! Brad snapped this picture of Ellen just a couple weeks ago at the Forbidden City.
Ellen handing goodies out to the kids in the Hefei orphanage last year where she spent her first seven months of life. Here's to hoping these kids are in their "forever families" right now.

"Not to us, O Lord, not to us

but to your name be the glory,

because of your love and faithfulness."