first steps

So I don't usually blog about the piece of art that I've chosen for my "Art of the Week", but I just had to talk about this one. This painting is one of my favorites of Van Gogh's. I first saw this painting in a big book full of all his work that I got for Christmas years ago. When I saw it I just absolutely fell in love. I have always loved his art and his depiction of common people doing every day chores. But this one truly tugged at my heart strings.

I think that one of the most precious scenes in the whole world is the sight of a child taking their first steps. In this painting not only is it the precious scene of taking first steps, but the child is taking her first steps into her father's open arms. I hadn't looked at this painting in years, but I felt like God placed it on my heart again this morning. I was thinking about the adoption and all of our plans for our sweet Karleigh Mei. I then went and read my mom's blog and was touched yet again by the entire story. I've heard it multiple times, but it never ceases to amaze me.

In many ways our adoption has been like this painting. My family took our first steps of the adoption into our heavenly father's arms. We trusted that he would catch us if we were to fall and carry us if we couldn't walk anymore. And being the incredible and faithful God that He is, He did! Now here we are with just her picture and a small description of who she is and I feel like we are taking our first steps into God's arms yet again. Though we've taken many first steps before, these first steps are different than any others we've ever walked before. I feel like at times the distance between our area of comfort and God's arms gets longer and wider. But then I am reminded that this is where our faith comes in and we must trust that God would not beckon us to move and walk to Him if he didn't think we could make it.

When the time finally comes to go to China and pick up our baby girl this picture will be painted yet again. Same scene, fresh paint and canvas. This new scene though will be a little different. While on the sending end the picture will be of a Chinese nurse who has taken care of sweet Karleigh Mei for us all these years, the receiving end will be my parent's open arms ready to catch her if she were to fall and encouraging her that she can take those first steps into our lives. And lastly the child painted there will not be a poor peasant like Van Gogh painted, but a daughter of the King that is taking her first steps into the life God has always intended her to have.