The Sweetest Thing

This is what has been gracing my counter top for the past two and a half weeks.

Over the years seeing this sweet clutter on other people’s counters always made me smile because of who it means they have - a little baby all their own. I’ve washed so many bottles for friends, changed so many diapers, tickled so many tummies; I’ve loved it, and at the same time wondered if God would ever choose to bless me in the same way.

Now here I am with a cute grassy drying rack becoming part of the set of my kitchen and daily routine. And it thrills me because of who it means I have - a little baby all my own. You see, my family is in the middle of another one of God’s incredible stories, one that points to Him and humbles me and makes me so glad to be His.

Would you like to hear about it?

OK, I’ll tell you. 

Here's the short version...

8 years of marriage, 8 years of fun, 8 years of infertility, of learning to trust our sovereign and loving Father. Almost 2 years since God began His first glory-giving adoption story in our family.

Even before Danny and Livi’s adoptions were finalized last November, Michael and I knew we wanted to look into infant adoption. Last October we got the initial paperwork and prayed about the whole thing, that God would direct our paths, and for the future birth mother of our possible child.

In March we started the state-required classes – we were told that our agency usually cancels the 8-week-long sessions if there are less than 3 couples signed up. Our class had only two couples, but they had been canceling so many that they decided to keep it on the calendar.

Lord, is this You clearing the way for us?

We filled out our “child desired form,” checking boxes as to what we would/not be ok with. Any race, we said – but we wanted a boy.

We wanted to raise warriors for Christ 

in this feminizing society of ours! Huah!

We wrote a “match letter” – a letter with lots of family pictures written to potential birth moms telling them all about us. We were told that birth moms choose three families and then make their final selection after meeting each family.

Praying that God would lead the right woman to us, 

and praying a lot for her.

We were told that once the match letter was in circulation the average wait to be matched with a birth mom was 6 months. We made a ton of copies and brought them to the agency to be distributed state-wide.

Grappling for my phone every time it rang from then on 

to see if it was “the call.”

Shortly after we put our match letter out, God moved our hearts to change that child desired form to accept a boy OR a girl. It wasn’t wrong to choose one or the other but we felt we needed to let the Lord bring us whoever He wanted.

YOU direct our path, Lord!

4 weeks later on a Friday in May, Mike found out that we would be moving this fall. I was sad…we’d have to start this whole adoption process all over again in our new city!

More good lessons on resting in His time.

And then that same night we got the call. A very brave and selfless birth mother had chosen us – and not only that, but she hadn’t chosen anyone else! We were the family. She was having a baby girl who would be born in July and had no problem with us leaving so soon.

Lord! Really?! Are you REALLY blessing us like this?!

…And so after lots of baby shopping and planning and preparing, on July 11^th our precious little one was born and we took her home two days later. Her name is Arlie, and we are so in love, and I am so glad she’s not a boy, and I am overwhelmed with God’s love for me. Overwhelmed.

Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, 

coming down from the Father of lights, 

in whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. 

James 1:17