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“We’re adopting!”

Words we didn’t dream would be written into our story, but oh sweet friends I sit here choked up and in awe of how our all knowing, all loving God wrote them before time for us! This place He’s brought us, this story He’s unfolded before us—-is so much more wonderful than any story we could have written ourselves! He led us through the darkest of nights so that here, now, we would be able to look with light abundant at the breathtaking view! But I’m getting ahead of myself….

Well into our journey through infertility–on a day that seemed like any other day–Michael had come home to eat lunch with me like he usually does. We ate and talked and before he had to go back to work the topic of adoption came up. Adoption? At the time it wasn’t on our radar, but we committed to intentionally start praying together and asking the Lord if adoption was indeed where He was leading us. Seeking and discerning and listening took time. We began reading books on adoption. We learned what it was, what it looked like, what it meant. We asked our families to join with us in prayer.

And as we sought Him, He answered us.

He brought people into our lives who had adopted and they shared their stories with us. He brought friends who lived in that world alongside us to answer our questions. He was taking this idea and letting it take root in our hearts.

Not long after the question was posed we received the news about my inability to ovulate. The doctor told us I could try taking a drug called Clomid. Basically it would trick my mind into thinking a hormone wasn’t present in my body to then domino effect into eventually (hopefully) releasing an egg. After that appointment we had the order sent to the pharmacy and I picked it up on my way home. It was to be taken on a certain day of my cycle and would only be effective for three months (so the months that we decided to take it would be essential).

We waited for the next month to begin–but then realized that we would traveling. “Not now,” God seemed to be saying. So with sadness (and more waiting), we put Clomid on the shelf and decided to wait yet another month.

We continued to pray for guidance and direction.
For His will in our lives.

The next month rolled around and all the sudden my feet gave out again. And badly. The specialist talked of surgery. Because my job requires my feet, I knew that I couldn’t do any kind of surgery until my last wedding of the year. But could we still start Clomid when surgery was an option in our future?

I called the doctor and she recommended not starting Clomid until after surgery…which meant we wouldn’t even know if Clomid would help us get pregnant until at least the following year. God seemed to be continually closing this door for us. Each time we went to pursue Clomid, He seemed to gently whisper again, “Not now.”

We believe that those who diligently seek the Lord will be found by Him. (I mean–it’s a promise! It has to be true!) And as we sought His will, asked for Him to reveal to us where He was leading……yet again, adoption rose to the surface.

We knew that if this is where God was taking us, He would confirm it. And He did. Again and again and again.

We began researching adoption agencies. We attended an informational meeting in Saint Louis. We asked for peace & unity along the way—and He overwhelmed us with it! The roots that were growing in our hearts began to spring forth and blossom! He was giving us passion for adoption. And not just in one of our hearts and lives, but both–together! It was such a special season! We began to realize maybe this was the way God was going to grow our family. This beautiful, different, stunning way. We prayed hard and asked lots of questions. And with each answer our hearts beat in unison for this path He was revealing to us…

And so, a couple months after that, we officially decided to take one of the biggest steps of faith in our marriage and apply for adoption…

We were accepted and began going through the list of things we needed to accomplish during our home study section. Medical exams, background checks, TB tests, required reading, pet vaccination records & book reports. A two day conference. Getting our CPR certification and paperwork. Lots and lots and lots of paperwork.

Which brings us to the page God is writing right now….

As of this week, we have one last piece of paperwork to turn in from our list and then we’ll be scheduling three separate home visits by a social worker from our agency. From there we’ll create a profile book and our social worker will write our report. After all that is complete, our profile will get put on a list with other adoptive parents and then the real waiting begins….

We want each of you here with us.
Waiting with anticipation alongside us as God dips His pen into ink and writes the next chapter of our story.
We long for you to pray for us. Pray for our child. Pray for our birth mom.
We want you to watch in awe with us as we one day together meet the child God knit in the womb of a woman we’ll forever be grateful to.
We want praise to resound from all our hearts at this thing that the Lord is doing!
We know there are probably countless questions you want to ask, and friends, we want to answer them! (Three posts isn’t enough to encompass two years of God at work!) We will fill in details and stories. We promise.

Through this God revealed to us this very precious truth.
This story–the one we call our own–oh friends, we are not the main characters of.
He took us on a journey that broke us, refined us, strengthened us, caused us to lean harder and deeper into Christ. And in all of it, He showed us this story is about HIM. His plan. His glory. His strength. His grace. His hope. His mercy. His character. His working. Whatever the end of this story might look like, our hearts cry is that Jesus Christ might be seen, known & glorified through it all.

In the thick of the storm-when everything seemed black as night-God graciously gave Michael and I Proverbs 4:18, “But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day.” At the time we couldn’t see a step ahead. But now, as light is breaking through onto our path we walk expectantly forward knowing one day we’ll turn around and look back at a glorious trail behind us, fully lit, fully able to see every tiny detail of what He was working from the start. He shines light into our stories, sweet friends, and fills them with His glory…

Thank you from the bottom of our heart to our dear friend Annie (Crossroad Calligraphy) who handcrafted this banner for us. You, my sweet talented friend, blessed us more than you know!