Dear Nic...

Dear little Nic, as I carry your picture I find myself gazing at your sweet eyes searching for a glimpse of what you might be wondering or experiencing right now.  It is hard to hold back tears with the realization that all you know of the world is what is seen from the view between the bars of a lonely crib.

As you spend your days gazing up from your bed, there are no love filled eyes looking back at you.  You don’t know the feeling of being cuddled in your mommy’s arms or falling asleep on your daddy’s shoulder.  You don’t know the sound of your own giggle from your brothers and sisters tickles and funny faces.  You don’t know soft whispered words of comfort or sweet lullabies to soothe your little infant cries. You have not felt the warmth of kisses on your forehead or fingers stroking your soft cheeks.  You have never felt family gathered around you doting on your every coo, or the simple sensations of the grass beneath your legs and sunshine on your face.  

So many things that every baby should know, you do not.  Yet, in your short life you have already learned something that should be a mystery to every child.  

The feelings of being unloved and unwanted by the world around you do not have to be taught.  But I promise you that you will soon learn that what you know right now is a lie.  If only there was a way we could tell you at this moment how loved you really are.

 Thousands of miles away, you have a mommy, daddy, four loving sisters and two amazing brothers, a Mimi and Papa, Aunts, Uncles, a whole lot of cousins, Grandma, friends, neighbors and church family, that are frantically working to bring you home to make up for lost time and cover you with their love.

And even still there is a greater love.  A love that has been with you before you were even known by the world.  A love that sent His son to save you, you who others declared unworthy, lowly and weak.

A love that gave one family a beautiful baby boy named Colt, who happened to have Down syndrome, almost two years ago to open their eyes and hearts to the beauty and the needs of so many special children and led them to you.  A love that chose the humble vessel of that baby boy to be the reason that you now will know the love of family and the unfailing love of your Father in Heaven.  We may not be able to get to you yet, but His perfect love has been with you from the beginning.

So, while our heart aches and longs for you to be here, there are hundreds of people praying for you to One who loves you with a far more perfect love than anyone in this world could match. 

Precious Nic, someone deemed you unworthy, but you are a prince to your Father and you ARE loved.  Soon, you will know this.