First, they had to go through a "home study." Since their home had been destroyed in Katrina, family friends and church members helped them put together an "apartment" as soon as possible.
As part of that home study, they had to be fingerprinted by "what seemed like every type of government or civic organization in the United States."
Then they had to get physicals that would verify a clean bill of health for them as parents.
David Platt continues:
"With home studies, fingerprints, and physicals past us, we began the long, agonizing process of waiting. Every single day we thought about our child, wondering if it would be a boy or a girl and longing for the day when we could hold that little one in our arms.
"Finally, about a year later, I received an e-mail. It was a picture of a boy.
"Nine months old, abandoned. I printed out the picture and ran to show it to Heather. We laughed, we cried, we rejoiced, we prayed, and within two weeks we were on a plane, headed to Kazakhstan.
"Upon arrival in the city we were immediately taken to his orphanage, where the director met us and escorted us in to a small room. She shared all sorts of medical information with us about our son, and then it happened.
"A woman rounded the corner with a precious ten-month-old boy in her arms, and words can't describe the immediate swell of emotion that filled the room.
"The woman handed him to us, and for the first time, Caleb Platt looked into the eyes of a mom and dad.
"For the next four weeks, we visited Caleb in his orphanage. We held him, fed him, sang to him, laughed with him, and crawled all over the floor with him until the day finally came for us to adopt him.
"We were instructed on what to wear, what to say, and what to expect when we stood before a Kazakh judge.
"Our hearts were pounding in that courtroom as the proceedings played out.
"Finally the judge pronounced, "I grant this application of adoption, and this child now belongs to David and Heather Platt."
"We left the room with tears steaming from our eyes, ready to pick up Caleb from his orphanage for the last time.
"The parallels between Caleb's story and the gospel story are many, but I want to point out one that is particularly significant:
"Adoption begins with the parent's initiative, not a child's idea.
"Before Caleb was even born in Kazakhstan, he had a mom and day working to adopt him.
"While Caleb was lying alone at night in an orphanage in Kazakhstan, he had a mom and dad planning to adopt him.
"And one day when Caleb was placed in the arms of his mom and dad, he had no idea all that had been done, completely apart from any initiative in him, to bring him to that point.
"It seems obvious, but it is especially important: this precious ten-month-old baby did not invite us to come to him in Kazakhstan to bring him into our family; he didn't even know to ask for such a thing.
"No, this orphaned child became our cherished son because of a love that was entirely beyond his imagination and completely outside his control.
"He did not pursue us, for he was utterly unable to do so; instead, we pursued him.
"This is the heart of Christianity, and we are prone to miss it when we describe becoming a follower of Jesus as inviting him into our hearts.
"The reality of the gospel is that we do not become God's children ultimately because of initiative in us, and he does not provide salvation primarily because of an invitation from us.
"Instead, before we were ever born, God was working to adopt us. While we were lying alone in the depth of our sin, God was planning to save us.
"The only way we can become part of the family of God is through a love entirely beyond our imagination and completely out of our control.
"Christianity does not begin with our pursuit of Christ, but with Christ's pursuit of us.
"Christianity does not start with an invitation we offer to Jesus, but with an invitation Jesus offers us."
We ourselves groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons. (Romans 8:23)
In love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will. (Ephesians 1:5)
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