The Difference a Family Makes

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27

I had intended to write a different post with the first 3 pictures below. I was planning to rant and rave about why we ALL need to do something to care for orphans. None of us have good reasons not to do something. I'm not saying that everyone should adopt...I know many people can't for legitimate reasons. But I am convinced that many of you reading this are supposed to adopt. I just know it. A few of you have even sent me messages saying that you've begun the process to adopt, due largely to things I am telling you about here. Sharing Vera's experience has prompted some of you to set aside your own notions and to really pray and seek God's will about adoption. That humbles me greatly. It also motivates me even more to continue to share. So I will.

Remember when I told you about how Vera falls asleep? You can read about it here if you missed it or need a refresher. She would fight us when it was time for bed. She never wanted to lay down. Seeing how she falls asleep, I can't blame her for fighting it. I really don't think she likes the place where she goes in order to fall asleep. I wish I knew where that place is. Then again, maybe I don't. Anyway, I took these pictures at our apartment in Ukraine. This is how Vera's hair looked every morning when she woke up. Sometimes it was worse. Her violent swaying and jerking left her hair a complete mess each morning.
We've been home since Thursday. Vera is a different girl than the one who had me sobbing in the bathroom last Wednesday. She is calm. She is peaceful. She's had ONE tantrum since we've been home. One. She was having several a day in Ukraine. I am still thanking God for every hour that goes by without a tantrum. :) Vera belongs here. We think she knows it. From the time we walked in to the house on Thursday, she has seemed to feel at home here. It's been natural. She loves her siblings. She loves our pets. She loves her room and her toys. Vera is enjoying using the bathroom when she needs to and not when she's told to. She enjoys getting a drink when she's thirsty and not when she's told to. She knows we'll give her food when she's hungry and not just at the same time every day. She has freedom. She has choices. She has a family who loves her dearly.

Vera has spent 4 nights in her new bed in her new room in her new home with her new family. The first morning she woke up at 3. The second morning she woke up at 5. The night before last, she got a good, normal night's sleep. Last night was also a normal night of sleep. I took these pictures below this morning. Go back and look at the before pictures.

Look at how she wakes up now. Do you know what the difference is? In Ukraine, she would sway and jerk for over an hour every night. Sometimes it was 2 hours. One night it was over 3. Two nights ago, Vera was asleep in 30 minutes. Last night it took a whopping 15 minutes.
Vera still sways and jerks as she falls asleep. But it doesn't last long. She is comfortable here. She is relaxed. She is safe. She is LOVED. She doesn't need to spend as much time in 'that place' before she drifts off to sleep. I'm not saying that we don't have a long road ahead of us. We do. Part of me is wondering if this is the calm before the storm. There is much healing that needs to take place, and I'm not talking about her CP. But I think these photos are a testament to the difference having a family makes.
I don't know about you, but this shows me that adoption matters. Adoption makes a difference.
Don't you agree?