During our fertility process many people have asked me "Have you considered adoption?" Or as our dear friend Scott Alexander said "You know the secret to having a family don't you? adopt" Adam and I even went to a seminar about adoption back in February just to get some more information but we've never really followed through by filling out the paper work...well not until last Monday night at 11 pm!
I'm writing this story to for us to remember but wanted to share it for those of you who are interested...
Last Monday around 2 p.m Adam called me while I was at work. Of course it's not unusual for him to call but something in his voice told me that this wasn't a call to just check in. "What are you doing?" he asked. "Not much, Madison is napping and I'm catching up on some reading, why is something wrong," I reply. "Well," he said, "there's no easy way to say this but would you want to consider adopting a little girl who was born yesterday?" For a moment time stopped. All in a matter of seconds my mind thought "someone wants us to have a little girl. a sweet little one to dress up, put big bows in her hair, play with dolls, paint her nails, have tea parties,etc...oh...God is this your way of working..." So I said, "What did you say?" Adam follows up with the details about a lady who had already filed with an adoption agency but had a check in her spirit about the family and decided not to go through with it. Yet in her heart she knew she was unable to provide for this little one so she was considering other options and our name came up.
I really didn't know what to say but that I needed to process this and really think about what this meant. We hung up. I prayed, called my mom and my friend Devin and got pretty excited about this opportunity. I know things don't just happen. God has a plan and gives and takes away so I saw this as a time of giving and I wanted to at least consider. At the same time Adam talked to his dad, mom and matthew and decides that we need to get more information and have a place to process this information. So a family meeting was set for 6 pm.
After work I rushed home to shower and spend a little time with Adam before we met as a family. After talking together we saw this as a open door. We would walk through it until the Lord closed it. As a family we were able to find out more information about the birth mother as well as the logistics/legal practices of adoption. After talking to a counselor, a lawyer, and each other we realized "Whoa this is a mountain of details that would need to happen but if God wants to give us this baby HE WILL DO IT." We would continue to be faithful to what we knew and and we would take faith steps.
When we got home that night we googled an adoption lawyer that was recommended to us and we printed out the first round of paper work. We decided we should fill out the preliminary paper work 'just in case.' We went to bed around midnight and offered a prayer of surrender to His will just before our heads hit the pillow. We both slept soundly in God's peace.
The next morning I was ready to find out more information about the type of adoption this mother was seeking and if legally we could really adopt this baby. I don't think Adam got much work done on Tuesday. He was busy making calls back and forth from the counselor to the lawyer to me. For a few hours it looked as if we could follow through with this but after hearing the mother's requests Adam and I both knew in our hearts that we were not the chosen parents for this little girl. It was harder to say no than yes but we both realized and believed that this little girl just might be exactly where she belonged...in the arms of her mother. (That's what I've prayed) Or with a family who will be able to help both this baby girl and her mother.
It truly was a crazy 24 hours yet it was beautiful chaos. The Lord's hand was making all the moves even as we made calls and waited to hear we knew we were doing exactly what the Lord desired. Many times I'm unable to see God's hand tangibly at work yet this time it was clear. Although we still do not have a baby and we still long for one, we are even more confident that the Lord is stirring something in us that has us longing not just for a family but more importantly for HIM!
So have we considered adoption? Yes we have. We will consider whatever the Lord gives us whether adoption, IUI, IVF, natural, or simply just waiting. For a man's life is not his own, it is the Lord who determines his steps.
Praise Him!
