Allison Maxim was officially adopted by the Maxim family on Friday, January 30th at the courthouse in Graham, NC. The ceremony was a beautiful picture of Christ's love for and adoption of his people. Allison was adopted into the Maxim family just as Christ adopts his children into his family. Russell Moore writes in his book Adopted for Life: “When we adopt—and when we encourage a culture of adoption in our churches and communities—we’re picturing something that’s true about our God. We, like Jesus, see what our Father is doing and do likewise (John 5:19). And what our Father is doing, it turns out, is fighting for orphans, making them sons and daughters.” R.C. Sproul writes, "Nobody is born into this world a child of the family of God. We are born as children of wrath. The only way we enter into the family of God is by adoption, and that adoption occurs when we are united to God’s only begotten Son by faith. When by faith we are united with Christ, we are then adopted into that family of whom Christ is the firstborn."

During the ceremony, the Maxims poured different colors of sand into a container as a symbol of their family blending together. They also had their friends and family place a bead in the sand as a symbol of their prayers for Allison and for the Maxim family. There were rubber ducks placed on the table as well because rubber ducks are one of Allison's favorite things! I have never photographed an adoption ceremony before and I'm so thankful the Maxim's gave me the privilege of capturing such a special and important day.