Our Adoption Journey

We are looking to adopt! It's a shock to me. I have always--let me repeat that--ALWAYS been against adopting. Michael would bring it up, and I would always adamantly say, "No." Michael told me that about four weeks ago, he said a little breath prayer to God and said that if we were meant to adopt that He would have to change my heart because Michael couldn't change it. Two weeks later, my heart was changed. That shows me two things: 1) God cares about even the most (what we might call) insignificant, slight communication we have with Him. No prayer is too small. No request is too big. No prayer goes unheard. 2) God is still in the miracle business. Here's the story...

Early on April 12, 2011, a Tuesday morning, I hadn't gone to bed yet, and I felt God tell me to google adopting in Texas. This is something I had NEVER done before. I have NEVER looked at an adoption site, inquired about adopting, NOTHING. I googled it, and it brought me to several websites, so I checked one out. I decided to see the waiting kids in the Austin region, and I chose to look at kids 13 and older. The first picture was a sibling group of five children....way too many. The second picture was two brothers, Jamie and William. I looked at the other children, but Jamie and William never left my mind. I was drawn to them. In an INSTANT, the Lord changed my heart, and I knew that Jamie and William belonged in our home. There is no humanly way to describe the instantaneous change within me. I have described it like a bolt of lightening. Words fail me. It is the most incredible thing because one minute I never would consider adopting; the next minute, I am ready to adopt two boys I know nothing about. God is AWESOME!

I felt a longing for them. I wrote down their information and went to bed. The next day, after Michael had gotten home from work and Victoria home from youth, I asked them what they thought about adopting. Victoria asked if it was a boy or girl. I told her two brothers, and she immediately said, "Yes!" Michael was shocked. I told them their names, and Michael said that it sounded right. So, I immediately filled out a form stating we were interested in the boys. I got a packet a couple of days later, and our first step was to go to an informational meeting. That meeting was tonight. More on that in a minute.

On Saturday, April 23, we received confirmation that we are supposed to adopt. When Michael was considering going into the Army as a chaplain, we prayed for confirmation. We were inundated with confirmation after confirmation...a lot of it was magazines that came to our house with military chaplains on the cover and articles about them. It was crazy! On Saturday, we got the "American Family Association Journal" in the mail, and guess what was on the cover? "When Christians Adopt It Changes the World." I read the article and cried. God is confirming that we are to adopt.

Today, April 27, we went to the informational meeting. It was nothing new to me since I have done so much research. However, one thing we did learn was that in order to adopt, there is an adoption placement where the children live with us for six months and both parents must be there, and then the adoption will be finalized. Our dilemma is that Michael deploys in June and will be gone a year. I almost started crying at the meeting. Victoria said she did, too. Our prayer is that God will do a MIGHTY deed and work it so Jamie and William will be able to live with us while Michael is deployed. I don't want them to have to be in foster care any longer than they have to.

Jamie and William want a Christian family. The social worker said that is extremely rare. It is one of the reasons I was absolutely drawn to them. How precious!

How can you miss someone you've never met? How can I love them already? Victoria loves them, too. Michael is cautiously optimistic. I am so excited, I don't know what to do with myself. I have to keep busy so I don't think about them too much.

Our prayer requests are these:

1) That God allows us to adopt Jamie and William.
2) That God works a miracle, and Jamie and William are allowed to live with us even though Michael is deployed.
3) That we are able to get into the required classes that begin May 3.
4) That the transition will be smooth...if we get them.

Crazy, huh? God can do MIRACULOUS things! I am proof of that. And His timing is perfect. I have to rely on that and not get anxious about things that I cannot control. HE is in control. Always has been. Always will be.

So, there ya have it. Please continue praying for us. I will certainly keep you posted.

Until next time, here is a link to Jamie and William. If you click on "Heart Gallery of Texas," it has another picture of them, and they are holding a Bible between them.

Jamie and William