Imago Dei

For our family, our faith teaches us that every human being reflects the image of our creator. Every person. Each member of our family. The child who will become a part of our family. It is innately in everyone. Every person who has ever lived has within them the image of God. People define this in different ways: freewill, a moral compass, ability to contemplate the future, etc. Of course, some people reflect that image very poorly. The Light shines in, but is absorbed into the black hole of poor choices, self-centeredness, and indifference. So the Light isn't reflected very well and we don’t see God in much they do. Others reflect the Light very well through compassion, joy, and creative generosity. In the bright eyes, warm smiles, and caring actions of those people, we clearly see the face of the One in whose image we are all made. I have learned to recognize that image in many wonderful friends over the years. Over time, I have almost come to anticipate that I will have to squint a little in their presence because the Light is reflected so glaringly. 

But, sometimes, unexpectedly, we see the image in the face of a total stranger. 

Yesterday was a big day. After 9 months of paperwork and jumping through administrative hoops - all very appropriate and necessary for the adoption of a child, of course - Kameron mailed our dossier off to Oregon to the Dove International Adoption office for them to review our file, make any amendments, and forward to the Ethiopian Embassy in Washington, D.C. and then on to the State Department (equivalent) in Ethiopia. If all goes as we hope, our dossier should in Ethiopia in 3 weeks! At that time we will be put on a waiting list with an average wait time of 18 months before we are placed with our new child.

Kameron went to the UPS store located at 1919 Oxmoor road in Homewood to mail the dossier. The gentleman who was helping her was named Josh and had brown hair and a beard. He is always there. He told her through ground transport the dossier would reach Oregon next Wednesday, Feb. 26. She then asked how much other options shipping would be. He told her that he would check. She waited for what felt like a long time. Finally, he returned to the counter and had her verify the address on the package. When she finished, he said, "I know a guy whose dad is adopted. I know how important this is. Your dossier will be in Oregon tomorrow by 10:30. No charge for this one." 

Kameron asked if she could give him a hug, and he said yes (who would say "No" to my cute wife? :0). When Kameron made it to church last night to tell me, I could see the excitement and blessing in her eyes, before she could explain what happened. This was a brilliant public relations move for UPS. She eagerly told EVERYONE. Turns out that the image in Josh was reflected so brightly, that it radiated from the countenance of one of his customers for the rest of her day.

We hope that all our local friends will increase their patronage to the Homewood UPS. Perhaps the next time you are in there, you will give Josh, the guy with the brown hair and beard, a hug or a handshake. Kameron plans to take him a pound cake next week as a small token of our appreciation. It wasn't just the generous gift of the cost of the shipping that means so much to us. It is the reminder that the Light is shining in a dark world. And with folks like Josh out there reflecting it, there is no way the darkness will overcome it. 

Thank you, Josh at UPS. 

We deeply desire to show God’s love to one of His own by making him or her one of our own. Please pray for all five us during this journey.

In God’s Grace,

Nathan, Kameron, J. Henry, Amelia (and Baby #3!)