The Birthday of a Recently Rescued Orphan

Mrs. Beaver:

He's waited a long time...

...since we adopted Alexander in November, our family has celebrated 10 birthdays.

 Finally last Sunday it was his turn. Finally, it was his day to turn 12.

His expressions as he opened his gifts from his grandparents were priceless. His present from his Grandma and Aunt Jean came first.

We love the look on his face in this photo: "Whoa...is this really what I think it is???"

Just as the awe was setting in...

...our sports enthusiast, who is still so new to American sports, felt compelled to make sure the leather thing he'd been given was actually a baseball glove.

On the heels of that question came a much more poignant one from this child who was orphaned as a toddler...

 

...as he cautiously queried in his broken English, "This mine?"

Once reassured, his delight was knew no bounds.

Next Alexander opened the gift from my parents.

   

 His glee at receiving a Lego set of his very own was unmistakeable.

The evening finished with the cake decorating. Mr. Beaver made use of Alexander's nickname, "Mr. Cheeseburger."

God was so good to allow Mr. Beaver and me the rich joy of watching yet another former orphan experience his first real birthday celebration. Unlike some children who have come to take birthday blessings for granted, these former orphans are filled with awe and gratitude, not only for the gifts themselves, but also for the very thought that they might be the subject of such love and attention. In turn, our hearts are filled with gratitude to the Father of the Fatherless for his rescuing, saving love.