I recently came across several blogs in which talked about the importance in knowing their child's actual birthdate. I of course wish I knew for fact when it was but I was more than willing to change it to accommodate a better transition for us. That is when the investigation took place...
I reread the interview from her father and he remembered that she was born at the beginning of the Ethiopian New Year. September 11th is Ethiopia's New Year. Since we know that her father said it was the beginning of the new year, her birthdate couldn't be before Sep. 11th because that would be the end of the year. So I couldn't, with good conscience, give her a birthdate before Sep 11. It seems to me that Aleyah's father felt confident with her birthdate, seeing how it is about 10 days following the New Year celebration.
Maybe this sounds strange, but I felt the Holy Spirit guiding me to the truth about the day He (God) brought Aleyah into the world. What made me feel this way? I prayed right before I opened my Bible and asked God to give me clarity on our decision about her birthdate. I opened my Bible and it randomly fell open to Isaiah 49. So I thought, 'okay, let's look at verse 21 since that was the birthdate given. This is what Isaiah 49:21 read:
"And your ruined land? Your devastated, decimated land? Filled with more people than you know what to do with! And your barbarian enemies, a fading memory. The children born in your exile will be saying. "It's getting too crowded here. I need more room." And you'll say to yourself, "Where on earth did these children come from? I lost everything, had nothing, was exiled and penniless. So who reared these children? How did these children get here?"
(The Message)
Needless to say, I sat frozen. Am I just reading into something that does not really have any significance or did God bring me to this verse only to convince me that the 21st of September is really the day she was born? I continued with my research and found the following information: "Enkutatash (New Year) is an important festival in the lives of Ethiopians. After three months of heavy rains the sun comes out creating a beautiful clear fresh atmosphere. The highland fields turn to gold as the Meskal daisies burst into flower. When Makeda, the Queen of Sheba, returned to Ethiopia after her famous visit to King Solomon, her chiefs welcomed her forward by giving her "enku" or jewels. Enkutatash (New Year) which means "gift of jewels" has been celebrated ever since. Meskerem is seen as a month of transition from old to new. It is a time to express hopes and dreams for the future."
Why is that significant to me? Well, everything about Aleyah is new. She left her old land and came to a new one. She left her old family and found a new one. She had an old life and found a new one. She is in transition from the old to the new. We have many hopes and dreams for her. She even has a "new" name. And since I bring that up I have to repeat that it was the Lord who gave her the name Aleyah. Just as an angel appeared to Zachariah and told him he would have a son and his name would be John; I was told on the day that we decided to adopt, that we would have a daughter and her name would be Aleyah. When I checked the origin of the name Aleyah, I was surprised to learn that it meant "ascender." Ascender is defined as someone who moves up to a better position in a job or in life. A sentence for the word ascender was given and it read, "She ascended from a life of poverty to one of great." This is why I feel pretty confident that her birthdate, the day that she found herself in the world, was September 21. Why does that make me feel confident? Because when we listen, God does speak.
As far as school goes...It looks like I'll be home schooling her next year. There is no cut-off date when it comes to God's children. It is what it is. And if her birthdate is the 21st, then so be it. I won't change it for my convenience.
What an exciting time of year to celebrate your birthday. A time to throw away the old and step forward to the new. Aleyah will no doubt appreciate her birthday. We will ring in the new year with Ethiopia as a cultural experience and remember that she was born during a time that celebrates hopes and dreams for the future....
Top photo is of Derartu the day she arrived at Hannah's Hope. Her head was already shaved while she stayed at a prior orphanage.
The bottom photo is our sweet Aleyah Derartu Rain. Full of life, ideas and opinions. We are blessed to be a part of her future.
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