How It All Began...

It's hard to believe that it was exactly four years ago on this day, 7/5/2005, that Scott and I sat down to watch a video that was included in the information packet sent to us by an adoption agency. We had just spent a couple of weeks praying about adoption and whether or not the Lord was calling us to it.

We both had the desire for more children but expanding our family biologically was difficult if not impossible by this point. We didn't want our decision to be a reactionary one, but one that was carved out for us by the Lord as he closed certain doors and opened others along our journey.

So after putting the kids to bed that night four years ago, we watched the story of Steven Curtis Chapman and his wife as they traveled to China to adopt their first (and then second, and then third) daughter. By the end of the DVD there was no question as to what we were going to do. We were ready to jump on a plane that night and go.

But things in China don't move that fast. There's this little thing called paperwork that needs to be completed. So that is what I dove into the next morning. I had to first apply to our agency to see if we would be accepted as a prospective adoptive family.

This is where it gets good.

Before I even had my address filled in on the application (that would be line 2), I stepped into the kitchen to hear a message being left on my answering machine. Before the message was finished, a call was coming in. And on the computer, an email had just arrived. All about a young mother who was looking for a Christian family who might be interested in adopting her baby.

Interesting. It was just last night that we felt the confirmation to pursue adoption. And it would be at least a year (or more) before we would be matched with a child. And you see, I was going to China. There was a sweet little girl over there just waiting for her forever family to come and bring her home.

Somewhat dumbfounded by the circumstances, I called Scott at work to let him know what I had been told. And my non-risk taking, don't-go-looking-for trouble husband said exactly what I never expected him to say: "I think you should call and get more information."

What??

So I hestiantly picked up the phone (all the while continuing to think, "this is great and all but I'm going to China!")

Turns out the birthmom (who lived on the other side of the country) just happened to be in our state visiting with her grandfather and just happened to be visiting our little town that day and would we like to meet with her?

This is where we'll hit the brakes, I thought. So I called Scott again, confident that this would be getting too close for comfort.

"Sure", he said. "Let's go meet her." I about dropped the phone.

So that afternoon, all of us (kids included) drove across town to meet with this very sweet young girl (who was 8 months pregnant) and her believing grandfather. We really liked her and she must have like us because she felt comfortable placing her baby in our family.

We then spent the next 2 to 3 weeks running around like crazy proving that we weren't convicted criminals and that (except for the stress put on us by this process) we were in relatively good health.

To make a long and wonderful story short, 17 days later (17 DAYS!!!) we were at the hospital when Alex was born and the next day he was in our home to stay. It was amazing.

And so is that little boy that we brought home. He has a birthday coming up so I'll save that day to brag on him.

Today, I just wanted to stop and remember what God did in changing our hearts, in calming our fears, and in giving us courage to move forward in something that was loaded with uncertainty.

And I'm so glad He did. Because there is one thing that is certain about all of this.

Without Alex,

life sure would be

a lot duller.