‘What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men …… That is what love looks like.’ - St. Augustine

Thursday, June 09, 2011

Kirill -- Just One More Reason Why I Believe in a Loving God


This is Kirill and his brother Clayton. You probably know all about Kirill, especially if you've been reading my blog for more than a month. Actually, if you've been reading ANY Eastern European adoption blogs lately, you know Kirill's story. Kirill is not supposed to be home. Kirill was refused a family by a very backwards judge and the chances of getting that decision overturned were, well frankly, almost impossible. But Kirill had more prayer warriors than his family could even count. And in a nothing-short-of-a-miracle Russian supreme court hearing a few weeks ago, this horrid decision was overturned --- Kirill won the right to his family.


Of course all of you reading this know that Kirill and every other child in this world has the right to a family. Kirill shouldn't have had to wait, but in God's penchant for turning horrible situations into something out of a fairytale, Kirill's wait was turned into some mighty good. If you didn't know, Kirill's story went pretty viral when it was learned in the adoption community that he was denied adoption. Everyone blogged about it, everyone prayed, and soon  an adorable little boy in a remote Russian orphanage was on everyone's minds and hearts.


The word spread so quickly and so far (actress Patricia Heaton even taking up the cause) that Reece's Rainbow's site nearly crashed  (or DID crash, I think!) Word got out -- about Kirill. About Down Syndrome. About special needs children adoption in Russia. About adoption in general. About the type of parents we all should have -- Tesney and Greg who went to the ends of the earth more than once to bring their little boy home.


And so, in God's miraculous way, MORE good came out of that silly judge's decision than bad. One person whose mindset was so limited as to think a child like Kirill would be better off in an orphanage...this ONE person's wrong-minded decision ended up being one of the conduits that opened the flood gates for special needs adoption -- something none of us could have imagined.


How many more Down Syndrome or HIV+ or otherwise special needs children are being (or will be) adopted because of Kirill, we may never know. But God used him and his family and their pain for GOOD. That's what God can do -- take a seemingly tragic, hopeless situation and turn it on its head. I know that is what He is doing with my Anya, too.  I know a greater good is being served by our suffering. I may never know what it is, but I trust it. I know it. God is faithful and good ALL the time. Not some of the time or when its convenient or when it 'looks' likes He's helping us...but ALL.THE. TIME.


Thanks for the reminder Kirill. Love wins. LOVE WINS! In the end, love always wins.



4 comments:

  1. Isn't it amazing?! "All things work for the best for those who love God."

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  2. I came back just to look at that photo again. What a dear, precious little boy - how could ANYONE not want to take him up in their arms and smother that little face with kisses?

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  3. Amen! Hooray for the triumph of Good over Evil. (And, yes, I meant those capitals.)

    Added R & V to my prayer list, where a family for G (Zh-) was. Now it seems like your young friend is praying that in a mighty and personal way.;>

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  4. I almost cried reading this! I prayed for this family and I know many others who did as well. You're right, what I thought of as a horrible thing may have ended up bringing about a greater good.

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