12/21 Between two worlds

Between Two Worlds is the name a book by John Stott which addresses another topic but I thought of the title as I reflected back over Gotcha Day.

Kristy took a picture and we are unable to post it but I will describe it for you.

About 1 hr after we met Jen, we came back to the hotel room. Not knowing what to do, she walked to the window and stared out across Guangzhou... a city of millions. There she stood with 2 strangers dressed in a beautiful red Mandarin suit. The quilted suit was too warm for the room so I pulled off her jacket. I kneeled beside her and looked out the window with her. We didn't know what to expect and she was definitely shell shocked. Just an empty stare -- looking at the buildings and who knows what was whirling around in her head.

So there she stood...red silk pants with golden cuffs and red slippers and a little pink shirt with her jacket laid to the side. She looked like a half dressed Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. She was peering out from the 15th story of an unfamiliar Western hotel across a Chinese city that was not unlike her hometown. We were caught between two worlds...she was now in our world but still looking out on hers. It was such a touching moment that we probably need to keep the picture to ourselves.

Before we left home, I searched for that special thing to give Jen on adoption day. I wanted to stand in front of her and put something around her neck which said "You are my child". I looked around and never found the right thing. We had some ideas but they never panned out so I just let it go.

When the moment in the window came, I thought about a little panda bear necklace we brought to give her on Christmas. It was not expensive. I went and got it and showed it to her and placed it around her neck. Just a silver chain with a panda with 2 hearts on its feet. It turned out to be the pearl of great price. A simple little thing ended up communicating everything I wanted to say. She has loved it and wears it everyday. I hope one day she'll look back when she is old and remember the day she got that panda from her daddy.