Friday, March 9, 2012

Rob's letter to baby

My Dear Child,

I am the first man you will ever meet and the man who will have more impact on your life than any other will.  I am your Dad.  Ever since I was young, I have always desired and looked forward to the day you will be born.  Never doubt, my child, that you were loved even before you were born, not only by me and your mother, but also by Someone much greater than any of us could ever fathom.  You will learn from early on in our home that while I am your earthy father, you have an eternal heavenly Father.  He is the One who created everything that your eyes will see, your ears will hear, your nose will smell and your hands will touch.  He is Your God and He tells us in His Word, the Bible, that the very hairs on your head are numbered and that before a word is on your tongue He knows it completely.  One of the greatest of all truths, my child, is that your life has a purpose and you have been chosen, not only by us, but also by your Creator.  As deep as my love is for you, His love is longer, wider, higher and deeper than anyone could ever measure or imagine.  I pray that you will come to know His love as well as mine early in life.  Life itself is a gift, but life built upon God’s love is an eternal blessing that lasts forever.

When you are of age, you will learn that you have been adopted. What does that mean?  It means that although you were planned, chosen and loved by your mother and I before you were born, your biological parents were two different people from us.  Due to a diagnosis with leukemia when I was in my twenties, I was unable to give your mom a child after we married.  Because of that, we purposed in our heart to seek you out and choose you as our very own child, to raise, nurture and love alongside your older brother, Devin.  He’s a great guy by the way, and I think you’re going to really like him.  He’s been looking forward to your arrival ever since he was able to speak, and he’s going to have a huge impact on your life, much like my older brother, your Uncle Dave, had on mine. 

My child, families come in all sizes and varieties, and the family you are coming home to is as unique as they come.  Would you believe that you are going to have three sets of grandparents?  Now, how is that possible?  Well, your mother Stephanie and I know a little something about what it means to be adopted.  Your Mom’s father, Grandpa Bill, is her adopted Dad.  He married your grandma Mary when your mom was just nine months old!  Much later in life, she met her biological father, Steve, and his family, the DaCostas, when she was 25 years old.  She learned that in addition to your Aunt Barbara, she had three other siblings: your Uncle Jeremy, your Aunt Lauren and your Aunt Christina.  That makes two uncles and three aunts … five in all.  Aren’t you lucky? So many people who love you and so many cousins to play with and dote on you when you get older.  When you are of age, my child, we hope you have the opportunity to meet your biological parents and their family much like Stephanie got to meet Steve.  When you meet them, please thank them so much for bringing you into the world and giving us the opportunity to have such a wonderful addition to our family: you!

Just one more thing about adoption … Do you remember what I said about your heavenly Father?  Well, His Word also tells us that when we place our faith in His Son Jesus, we are adopted into His Heavenly family.  Your mom and I are husband and wife, but because of our relationship with Our Father in Heaven, we are brother and sister for all eternity.  Your grandfather Dave, my Dad, understood this when I gave my heart to Jesus at the age of nine. He told me that he was not only my Dad, but he and I were now brothers in Christ.  I won’t explain all this to you now, but knowing this changes everything.  As much as your mom and I love you, you will find that we are not perfect.  We will make mistakes.  We will also make choices for your own good that you will not always like.  I am hoping that during those times, you will come to trust that we are thinking of your best interests, even when you don’t agree with us.  My Dad and I did not always agree on things, but one thing that always helped me through those times was knowing  that in God’s eyes, he is my big brother and not just my Dad.  I hope you come to faith at a young age, my child, and that you have the privilege of growing up and knowing that at the end of the day, I am not only your father, but I am your brother in Christ.  You and I both, along with Stephanie and Devin, have been offered the free gift of being part of a royal bloodline that will endure long after this earth is passed away and the town known as Winchester, VA is just a memory from an age long gone.  At the end of the day, it always makes me smile to know that those who know Our Lord and Savior personally have been chosen, adopted and loved by Our Eternal Creator.  Please remember that, my child.  If you do, you have a wonderful future in store for you.
I love you, my dear one, and I am anticipating the gift of raising you as my very own.  Happy Birthday!

Love,

Dad (a.k.a. Big brother Rob)

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