The book of Love

For Stephanie's adoption, I got her a book and am having all the wonderful people in her life write messages to her. I finally recorded mine tonight and, though it took me 6 pages to handwrite, I want to transcribe my words here:

My dear Stephanie,

I cannot tell you how happy I am to be able to call you my daughter. In my heart you have been just that for so long...Now I want to shout it from the rooftops.

I know what a difficult decision this was for you. I understand that, in a way, you had to "give up" some of the plans you had made. I intend to make sure that you never regret that decision, that it never feels like you gave up, gave in or settled. I swear to you that I love you just exactly as if I gave birth to you. In my heart, there is no difference.

Despite all it took to get us to this point, aren't we lucky to have found one another? I am proud to call you my daughter. I am honored be your mother. So many families are formed by chance; isn't it a blessing that we got to choose? That we go to know know each other first and then build love on that knowledge? It chokes my up to think about it.

There is a song called "Whispering Hope" that was my main inspiration in wanteg you to have the name Hope. Here are the first two verses and the refrain:

Soft as the voice of an angel,
Breathing a lesson unheard,
Hope with a gentle persuasion
Whispers her comforting word:
Wait till the darkness is over,
Wait till the tempest is done,
Hope for the sunshine tomorrow,
After the shower is gone.

If, in the dusk of the twilight,
Dim be the region afar,
Will not the deepening darkness
Brighten the glimmering star?
Then when the night is upon us,
Why should the heart sink away?
When the dark midnight is over,
Watch for the breaking of day.

Whispering hope,
oh how welcome thy voice,
Making my heart
in its sorrow rejoice.

So, now I hope you understand why the name Hope is so important to me. No matter how bad things have ever been, hope springs eternal. Without it, how could anyone even get out of bed in the morning?

Finally, I want to say something about love. Your Dad and I love you. God in Heaven and His glorious son Jesus Christ love you. It is a love that has no beginning and no end. It is a perfect, caring love. First Corinthians, chapter 13 (NIV) says:

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
5 It is not rude, it is not selfish, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails.

Keep these words close to your heart. Whenever love is said to be in the world, compare it to these five verses and you'll know if it is true.

I thank God for you and ask Him to keep His hand on you always.

Forever,
Mom