I thought I’d share our adoption story to encourage others who are longing for a child.
My husband “Boaz” and I were married back in 1989. After two years of marriage we stopped doing anything that would prevent a pregnancy. The years passed and nothing happened. We never went to get checked out. Partially out of fear of what the doctors would say. I didn’t want to have any words spoken into my spirit that I had to overcome. (I had enough on my spiritual wounds plate at that time.) I also didn’t want an Ishmael (by getting ahead of God’s timing). “Boaz” never pushed the issue — we just went on with life. It was hard, all of the baby showers, people’s questions (and trust me, people can be so cruel), etc … My husband and I are different people now. I can’t imagine how I could have raised a child back then. I was so bound by fear and my husband had his own demons to conquer. God’s timing is always perfect!
Around Easter 2004, “Boaz” and I purchased some land in the mountains. I looked at the rolling pastures and said, “It would be a sin for us to have so much and not have a child running through these hills.” Right after that comment, a couple at our church convinced us to go to an adoption informational meeting. My big man sat there and cried and told me to get a pre-application before I even had a chance to discuss it with him. lol I didn’t know it, but “Boaz” had asked God for a
neon sign. Being true to His nature — God answered! At this meeting, a recently adopted baby came in with her parents and grandparents. It was a beautiful little girl with a bright pink dress. That dress was a NEON sign to my dear husband.
We had a VERY SLOW social worker (who is no longer with the agency – though I still know this was God’s timing) and our paperwork wasn’t completed and approved until OCTOBER 2004! At that time I got the nursery ready. The social worker said, “Since you live on a farm, have a stable marriage, so much to offer … you’ll get chosen quickly.” Ha – so she thought.
So, for many, many, many days I sat in that nursery and cried, prayed, sang in the Spirit … cried, prayed, sang. Sigh. I was so desperate because I felt perpetually pregnant. I was just about at the point where I wanted to get a life-sized baby doll so that I could hold it and cry! Seriously!
In November of 2004, I was in the prayer coordinator position at our church and was leading our weekly intercessory meeting. One night two of the intercessors came up to me separately to say they had something to tell me. One saw a vision of a calendar and he saw the date December 18th standing out. The other person heard the date December 18th as we were praying for our child. I was beside myself! I jumped the gun and assumed that date was WHEN we would receive our child. I was THRILLED. Well, you can imagine my confusion when that day came and went. I know now that it must have been the date our baby was conceived. She was due Sept. 24th, but was premature and was born Aug. 31st. I have no doubt that God was telling us that she was conceived on December 18th. Isn’t that awesome? He knew before He placed her in the womb that she was ours. She was covered in prayer BEFORE she was even conceived. The birth mom hid her pregnancy. As far as I know, none of her family members know about our Princess.
2005: A few weeks before “Princess” was born, we were chosen by a married couple to adopt their son (open adoption). We met the couple right before the boy was born. We named the little boy and scurried home to prepare for him. The birth mom was afraid that the pregnancy was a product of an affair, but when the son was born, he looked just like her husband. We heard the day BEFORE we were supposed to pick him up that the adoption fell through. We felt like a child had died. It was a tough time!
Two weeks later, we received a call from our agency on a Friday afternoon. They wanted us to come up for a meeting about another child. We were told there was a very demanding birth mother who wanted us to meet some of her demands (that was just a plan to get us up there). After much grunting from my husband (having to drive a couple of hours in work traffic) we arrived. Then the agency folks chatted with us for an hour (and we were thinking “couldn’t this have been done over the phone?” …). Finally, the owner of the agency asked if we had healed over the loss of the son and if we were ready for a child. We said, “Yes, we guessed we were.” She said, “Well, your daughter is in “Zippidy Doo Da Land” (Name disclosed obviously – ha.) HUH!?!?! What? It almost didn’t compute! Our precious baby had been born on Wednesday. She had swallowed muconium and had to stay in the hospital for several days on antibiotics. Now, the cruel part that is hard for me to accept is that she was all alone all of those days. She had very sweet nurses, but her Mommy and Daddy were miles away. I can barely stand the thought of her being up there alone. We found out about her on a Friday and couldn’t go up until SUNDAY because we had to wait for the agency workers to participate in a Labor Day parade! (Yes, it is true. They had a commitment to be in a parade.) We were so excited, stunned, in shock … there is just no way to prepare yourself.
That Sunday, we drove 4 hours to meet our baby. This picture is the first time we saw our beautiful daughter (can you tell I actually look pregnant?). She was so tiny, so perfect. I couldn’t believe she was OURS. What a priceless gift!
This was a closed adoption (birth mother’s choice). We named our beautiful girl, and we stayed in her room for 3 or 4 nights. We did the feedings every 2 hours … everything birth parents would have experienced. That was such a blessing for an adoptive couple. I remember the first time I was alone with “Princess.” I lifted her little outfit and kissed her little belly. The second I kissed her, I felt something in my stomach! It was an immediate bond. She was mine and I was hers.
She has been our daughter before she was even conceived! God has a plan and His timing is perfect!
I watched a testimony once of a man who died in a car crash and went to heaven. He was 18 at the time this happened and it wasn’t his time to stay. God allowed him to see his name written in the Lambs Book of Life and it was HIS ADOPTED NAME. He was thrilled to know that. I am glad to have that testimony to share with my daughter someday.
Since our adoption, we referred two of my friends to our agency and they both have beautiful children through adoption.
If
you are an adoptive parent, I found this a few months ago and think you might enjoy as well. We found a web site where you can create a personal adoption story book for your children. We used My Creations to make a book for our daughter. All you have to do is share some details of your story, and these sweet people create a child-proof book just for you. (I copied this picture from their web site.)
Riding the random train — I thought you might find this fun. When “Princess” was 3 weeks old, we had some
professional photos made. Our agency loved one of the pictures so much that they used it for billboards and bumper stickers. This is a picture of me holding “Princess” at 3 weeks of age. Some friends of ours took this shot of a billboard as they were heading towards eastern NC.
I thought I’d share our adoption story to encourage others who are longing for a child.
neon sign. Being true to His nature — God answered! At this meeting, a recently adopted baby came in with her parents and grandparents. It was a beautiful little girl with a bright pink dress. That dress was a NEON sign to my dear husband.
This was a closed adoption (birth mother’s choice). We named our beautiful girl, and we stayed in her room for 3 or 4 nights. We did the feedings every 2 hours … everything birth parents would have experienced. That was such a blessing for an adoptive couple. I remember the first time I was alone with “Princess.” I lifted her little outfit and kissed her little belly. The second I kissed her, I felt something in my stomach! It was an immediate bond. She was mine and I was hers.
you are an adoptive parent, I found this a few months ago and think you might enjoy as well. We found a web site where you can create a personal adoption story book for your children. We used My Creations to make a book for our daughter. All you have to do is share some details of your story, and these sweet people create a child-proof book just for you. (I copied this picture from their web site.)
Beth, thanks so much for sharing your story – it is beautiful! Adoption holds a special place in our hearts as my husband has worked getting hard-to-place children adopted for over 25 years. Your daughter is truly blessed with such a loving Christian family. Blessings, Candy
Oh Beth! I’m sitting here with tears in my eyes! This is a beautiful story. I rejoice for all three of you.
Thank you so much for sharing this story.
What a beautiful story, thank you for sharing and for stopping by my blog as well!
What an amazing journey you have been through! Praise God for your precious little girl. She’s beautiful!
What an awesome story! That was amazing. I love the billboard too! Just precious!
God is so good & He is always right on time.
Thank you for sharing your beautiful story. I love the picture on the side of the road.
What a beautiful story. We struggled with primary and secondary infertility before being blessed with our two boys.
We too had a foster child returned to the family one week before we were going to adopt him. I grieved because I also felt like I had lost a child. We had pictures of him, he was already calling us mommy and daddy. It was hard. But God’s way is the best way.
Thanks for posting on Wendi’s blog. I came here from there. Thanks also for posting the Presidential Proclaimation. I read the entire post. Congratulations on your adoption. I am a grandmother to two adopted children. One was a shaken baby not expected to live at 2 months. He has a lot of physical problems but is a joy to our family. He is 12 years old now, in a wheelchair, still in diapers, fed through a belly tube and says a few words. He is charming. Arlona
I heard this proclamation read at the March for Life yesterday and was wanting to grab it because it is so beautiful…I am going to use it on my blog as well…great words from the president…
ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL & BEAUTIFUL!
I LOVE HOW YOU 'labled' YOUR ADOPTION STORY NOT ONLY UNDER ADOPTION, BUT ALSO ((((FAITH))))!!!!
WHAT A BEAUTIFUL STORY AND A BEAUTIFUL FAMILY – ALL A MATCH MADE FROM HEAVEN ABOVE! ~ Thank you Jesus :O)
I pray your story will bless many!
Love in Him, Deanna
Oh Beth, very teary here …. thank you for that post!
Bless you!
Precious,
What an amazing testimony! One that only our LORD could give to you and your husband and little child.
I was warmed and moved to tears. When I saw the photo of both of you first seeing your baby I burst out crying like I was there with you.
It’s such a blessing knowing you my sister. I wish we lived closer beause we would definetly be sitting in the living room or at the kitchen table chatting up a storm about the goodness of GOD, the things He’s brought us through and all the ways we love Him.
Beth, What a beautiful story. Thank you for sharing. Adoption is a beautiful thing.
Awe, thank you Beth for sharing your adoption story! What an amazing testimony to how faithful God is!
We are getting ready to adopt again (Lord willing).
Love ya. : )
AMAZING! So thankful that you have shared your story of God’s FAITHFULNESS!
Bless you and your family!
So honored to be a small part of your lives. 🙂
Beth,
I’m so glad that you shared this story! It was truly from your heart wasn’t it? What an amazing journey you have been on!
Your daughter is so beautiful and so blessed.
I don’t know how I missed this post!
What a beautiful story to share with your little girl. I love the significance of Dec. 18 and how you can easily see how God’s perfect plan for your little girl all came together. 🙂
I am just now reading this from your suggestion and link on today’s post. This is absolutely….I don’t have words. God written all over it. How awesome how everything came together. The not-so-timely adoption worker, the vision of a date and yet that came and past only to find out it was the date of conception. The timing of it all. It gives me hope. I cannot relate to your story of adoption but I can relate to your story of waiting. I know how it is to think maybe after two months he’ll come home, maybe after a year, he’ll come home, maybe after God has me where He wants me he’ll come home. I also seem to have the clock ticking much like a woman has a biological clock ticking. Fear can overwhelm me in thinking what if two years pass and nothing, what if it’s too long, what if it gets involved with another…what if, what if. Yet, I am seen (and am privelege to own the author’s book) of a testimony of seven years of divorce before reconciliation.
It may seem odd but I do relate to others with this. I can’t relate to parent hood or adoption or abortion stories. I can relate on the waiting and perfect timing of God. I’m trusting in His perfect timing much like you did even though it was very hard and trying on you at the time.
Beautiful story, Beth.
Love,
Paula
What an awesome testimony!!! My Husband and I dealt with male infertility and praise God conceived our daughter (now 8). Praise the Lord. You are the best mommy evah!!
Hello Sweet Friends. You will notice where I had to delete a few precious comments. When I first posted this, I had mentioned my daughter's real name. Some of my friends used her name in their comments and I had to delete them (so sad). I loved the comments and wish I could have just edited them.
I just wanted you to know why some were missing.
Bless you all!
Beth
wow!!!!!!!!!!!
what a fantastic story. thank you for sharing.
What a beautiful story dear.. It brings tears to my eyes.. I remember when my husband told me that he want a divorce because we dont have baby for 2 years of marriage…God Bless You and your family…
Such a precious story sweet sis, thanks so much for sharing. This truly touched my heart, may God forever bless your dear family. I love you.