There are hundreds of small things to celebrate under the umbrella of official adoption and in this moment it’s that I no longer have to refer to our youngest as “Little Girly” publicly but can use her full new name, Haley Kate Taylor.

Celebrations have been in full swing this week.  Yesterday afternoon as I was preparing for Haley’s adoption party, I heard a knock on our front door.  I swung it open and had a “pause… wait for it…” moment as I realized my dear friend Jill and her daughter from southwest WA were grinning at me with an armful of flowers.  After my “what-the-heck-is-going-on” pause followed by many tears, they were swept up in the celebration whirlwind with the rest of us.

Oh, zealous disciple, I love that when Jesus called, you dropped your nets immediately.  You soaked up His teaching.  You experienced His miracles firsthand and more importantly- His presence.  Jesus gave you power over unclean spirits and called you a friend, not by facebook standards but the inner circle of twelve.

Oh, Peter I knowingly smile when I picture you on a boat proclaiming, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to you on the water” because I am no stranger to dramatic intensity.  I know the exhilarating moment of faith required to throw yourself overboard and the following panic of “Is the One I know able to sustain this… to sustain me!?”

Oh, Peter you had your doubts but your sincerity leaps off Scripture’s pages.  Perhaps lacking in follow through but your desire- Oh, Peter I understand the desire.  While others questioned and gossiped you stood tall declaring, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”.  You heard the Father’s voice!

Jesus prophesied you as the rock He would build his church on… then rebuked you after He foretold His death and you responded with, “This shall not happen to you!”  Oh, Peter it’s easy to draw our own conclusions from the sliver of understanding Jesus gives.  It wouldn’t play out the way you had it pictured.  It had to be hard to get your head around His story instead of the story you’d write.  I get that.