His Plan All Along

May 26, 2002. A very special day for my family. Not only was it a special day for my family but also a very significant day in my life. This is the day that my sweet sister, Kiah Hope RuiQing, became a member of the Johnson family. On that Sunday afternoon in a hotel room in southern China, Kiah was an orphan no longer. She was now a daughter, sister, cousin, and granddaughter. Her life was forever changed. Our lives were forever changed. My life was forever changed. 

As I reflect back on that day twelve years ago, I can't help but stand in awe of the God I serve. Who knew how this little girl would change my life so drastically in such a huge way. And to think, if my parents had never said "yes" to God's plan to grow our family through adoption, my life may be so different at this very moment.

On May 26, 2002, I not only finally got the sister I had been praying about for years, but this is the day that the Lord wrecked my heart for the orphan. Once Kiah joined our family, my life would never be the same. If we had not adopted her would I even be in China right now? I have a very personal connection to this country, because of my sister. I fell in love with it and it's people that day twelve years ago, even though I had never been here. And no, if we had not adopted her, I most likely would not be here, writing this post, on a hot, humid day in southern China. I would not be devoting my life to uniting families through adoption. I would not have given two years of my life to love on the least, the lost, and the lonely in this beautiful country. I probably would not have studied sociology in college with the dream of going into social work to work with adoptions. I would never have this dream to make a difference in the lives of children all over the world.

Or maybe I would have. But I would not be nearly as passionate about it as I am now, all because of this sweet, feisty, and precious sister of mine. God brought us together from two worlds apart. Needless to say, I am so excited that my sister will be joining me here in China in just over a month. Her birth country. A country which is so much a part of who she is yet she has not been since she was 15 months old. A country where I have lived longer than she has. I can't wait to experience her birth country with her.

Yes, God truly knew what He was doing. And to think, this girl changed my life so much, in more ways than I can count. Yes, He knew what He was doing all along. He knew how this one child joining a family through the miracle of adoption, would break my heart for what breaks His. He used her life to change mine. And for that, I will be forever thankful.

This was His plan all along.