"When were the sisters adopted?"

When Samson talks about his sisters, he refers to them as "the sisters".

The other night when I was putting him to bed, we were talking about the day we met him. He has all kinds of questions about how we became family.

During this conversation, he asked me, "Mommy, when were the sisters adopted?"

I paused and really thought about how to respond. On one hand, I felt sad that he has to be the one not born from my tummy. So much about adoption is about loss, pain, guilt. How do I explain that he is the only one adopted, yet help him discover the beauty of adoption.

Several months ago, when we talked about how he was born in his Ethiopian mommy's tummy, he said, "No, Avery was born in her Ethiopian mommy's tummy." "I was born in YOUR tummy!"

So, you see, this topic has caused some pain for him. He doesn't want to be the different one.

So when he asked when the sisters were adopted, my first thought was this conversation is going to lead to more pain and more grieving.

But I kept thinking positive, thinking about the beautiful side of adoption, specifically, our adoption into Christ's family.

I didn't have to tell him that his sisters were not adopted. And really they weren't adopted in the same sense that he was adopted.

I told him that at this time it doesn't really matter when his sisters were adopted, so much as it matters that they were adopted.

Yes - they have been adopted! Each of my girls have claimed Christ as their Father. They may not fully understand the benefits and the glory that surrounds their adoption but they have each been adopted by Christ.

Samson may not fully understand his adoption into our family either but some day it will make more sense to him. I pray also that some day he has a greater understanding of the Big picture of being adopted by his heavenly Father and all the glory that surrounds our adoptions into His family.