Clayton Justice Geraldson Cherney: Wednesday's Boy.

Today, Clayton Justice Geraldson Cherney shall be carried safely home in the arms of his loving mommy and daddy. It is almost a relief to pen his name here since previously I could not do so, but now I can... Read more about "Wednesday's boy" specifically in these two posts: Introduction to my Wednesday Boy, and Goodbye letter to Geraldson I saw this picture on facebook this morning, and it nearly brought me to tears, and very likely would have if I didn't have to rush off to class.

The journey of this family has been a long one, to be sure. The received the referral for their son over two years ago in February of 2011. Two years is an excruciatingly long time to wait to bring your son home. But they waited, and I don't doubt for a second that they would tell you now with resounding assurance that it was worth every arduous second of waiting and waiting and waiting.

Geraldson - for he was Geraldson to me at the orphanage - was a serious little man for most of my time there. Smiles did not come easily to him. Until the last night that I was at GLA, and then at last, I heard him laugh and laugh and LAUGH until I felt as if he could laugh no more. It was a beautiful way to say goodbye to him; it was a heartwrenching way to say goodbye to him.

Some of you may also remember me blogging about Marguerite. Geraldson was absolutely Marguerite's most favorite child in all of the orphanage. She adored him. She goes to GLA for large chunks of time - some three months. Then she returns home for a bit and goes back to GLA. Well she was there with Geraldson these past few months, and she was there when Geraldson's parents came to bring him home forever. She always told me that it was her dream to met the momma of her little boy. There is, I'm sure, a great joy in her heart today as her dream has been made real, but I'm also sure that there is also an ache in heart as she says goodbye to him.

This family is wonderful. Clayton's mommy worked with Intervarsity Christian Fellowship (just about my favorite organization ever) for years and years, and she has been to Cedar Campus!!! Cause for great rejoicing, to be sure. He is going home to a good, good family who loves him very deeply.

The Lord has done great things in the life of Clayton, and I look forward with great anticipation as I watch his new life unfolding. Pray for him in the transition, for his family, for his big sister, even while praising God for the victory here at the end of this long, long road and for the joy in this new journey that has only just begun. And today pray also for the family of Thursday's girl as her parents travel to Haiti TODAY for their first visit. I have a great amount of respect and admiration for these two sets of parents, and hope to one day be like them.

Geraldson is going home, to his forever home with his forever family, and I will rest well in that beautiful truth tonight.