the things i hear (with big ears)

I attracted a lot of attention pre-John Paul.  Taking four blond children for a walk in a neighborhood that hosts exactly zero other foreign residents will do that. 

But now with John Paul in the mix we have definitely moved to a new level of attention-getting.  And I hear some pretty hilarious comments.

My personal favorite?  "He looks like a Chinese person."

Well, he IS a Chinese person.  Ethnically Chinese for life.  And, for the present, he is still a Chinese citizen (we haven't completed the process to get him U.S. citizenship). 

I also hear "look, twins".  Interesting that the same people who claim John Paul "looks like a Chinese person" are also quick to assign twin-ship to John Paul and Luke (who most definitely does NOT look Chinese!) 

I have heard so many twin comments through the years - Julianna and Lydia, Lydia and Isaac, I've even been asked MULTIPLE times if Julianna Lydia and Isaac are triplets.  My only conclusion is that the one child policy has so distorted an entire society's view of child-bearing that they simply jump to the assumption that multiple children are twins/triplets.  [In actuality the one child policy is a one birth policy.] 

I get a lot of very direct questions and comments (by "very direct" I mean easy to take the wrong way if you're not armed-and-ready with loads of grace for your fellow man). 
"Why did you adopt when you already have four?"
"Why did his mom not want him?"
"I can see where his cleft lip was repaired."
"Where did you get him?" (like there is some sort of baby store I frequent)

And, on the opposite side of the spectrum, I get lots of encouragement.  "You are such a good person." "It's so great that you adopted him." "Your family is so good to do this."  "Thank you." 

Many many opportunities to tell people about the goodness of the Lord, the way He perfectly creates individuals, His heart to set the lonely in families, and the gift of children. 

With John Paul in tow all I have to do is walk out my door, a conversation about Jesus is just around the corner. 

And at this point in his young life he is not really interested in listening.  I know that in all these conversations John Paul is my number one audience.  No matter what I am saying to who, I want to keep his ears, his heart in the front of my mind.  So the way we handle all this attention will undoubtedly change through the years.  But at this point even my big kids will look you in the eye and say "we adopted him, because no one wants to grow up in an orphanage". 

And one last thing, did you know John Paul has big ears?  He really does. 

And in China people think big ears mean you are lucky.  I hear lots of comments about his ears.  "Oh, he has big ears.  He's so lucky." 

I don't think luck has a thing to do with it.  There is one God, perfectly wise, perfectly sovereign, perfectly loving, who is writing John Paul's story.  And there are plenty of parts of the story that don't look too "lucky" to me (abandoned at 3 days old? lucky?).  But I know that God can redeem those parts of his story - indeed He already is.  Big ears and all :)