Good & Perfect Gifts

So with that brief interlude from my last post about "Embracing Accusation", I'm back to posting Annie's next art piece about the lost children in China and our journey to find Poppy.

The Great Wall of China is indis- putably one of the greatest wonders of the world. It was first construct- ed almost 3,000 years ago and stretches over 4,000 miles, comprised of about 10,000 watchtowers. It took 1,700 years to fully build, maintain and renovate it to what it is today (even though much of it is now rubble). More than a million people died while constructing the first 3,000 miles of the wall. The bricks themselves are an engineering marvel, able to withstand over 1,000 pounds of pressure per square inch. It ranges in width from 15 to 30 feet, and averages about 25 feet high, spanning some of the most rugged terrain in the country. It is truly a sight to behold, and something the people of China are rightfully proud of. The first time I saw this magnificent structure with Victoria I was awe struck. The precision of the construction and the beauty of the architecture against the backdrop of China's mountainous peaks threw my mind into a tailspin of wonder. I felt it was perfectly crafted. It is indeed good.

The imagery in this drawing (above) of The Great Wall by Annie is also quite intriguing as I feel it captures the good and perfect nature of God's gifts to us. For those of you that received our announcement a few years ago about Poppy's adoption into our family, you know that we chose James 1:17a as our theme verse to give thanks to God. It states, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights." (Also translated into Chinese characters on Annie's drawing.) I envision Jesus stepping down these stairs on The Great Wall with Poppy in His arms, preparing to greet us in the watchtower. She's every bit of perfection and every bit of goodness, being created by the Father of heavenly lights. With crying baby in tow, and an ever-so-happy grin on Jesus' face, we receive her with joy and tears, as we have all of the children God has given us. Turning and walking back up the stairs, He looks over His shoulder as we venture down the steps in the other direction and eventually fade off into the hillsides of another country.

The good and perfect gift of Poppy (and Austin, and Annie, and Barret, and Willow, and even Meagan, and Victoria to me and me to her), make The Great Wall seem like a petite partition. What man has created, as awesome and seemingly miraculous as it is, pales against the wonder and splendor of His created images, especially those given to us while traversing the terrain of this temporary territory.

Tom (& Victoria)