Many of you may not know this but we have struggled for 5 years to have children. It has been our greatest challenge to endure this with faith and hope. As many of our friends and family became pregnant around us we would celebrate with them only to later arrive home and weep together…and cry out to God for healing and provision. That being said we have learned so much about who we are as a couple in Christ and and He has always sustained us, and we have never lost hope.
It is the greatest joy of our life to tell you that God has blessed us this day with more than we asked or expected…we have received approval from the birth parents to adopt three precious children. Jonathan Shane (Age 7), Wesley Blake (Age 5), and Renee Lynet (Age 4).
Now you may be thinking “OMG, Are they crazy??? Three kids???” Here is our story:
On July 27th Angie was cutting hair for a client. She began to tell Angie that life was crazy for her right now because she was caring for her daughter’s children and she only had a few weeks to decide if she was going to keep them or the state was going to place them in foster care, where they would most likely be split up. When Angie came home and told me their story we called her right away and said “we want them!” She then told us that there were actually 4 kids, but the youngest child had already been adopted by a relative. She also said that they really needed a home for the little girl and they were considering keeping the two older boys.
We made arrangements to meet Renee on Saturday, July 30th. We were completely out of our comfort zone because we had never done anything like this before. When we arrived at their home the most beautiful little girl we had ever seen opened the door and we knew immediately we had just seen our daughter for the first time. Her two older brothers followed close behind. We spent the afternoon hanging out with the kids, playing ball, coloring, and Mike even had a chance to teach Jon how to properly shoot a basketball. After that he grabbed his tee-ball set and Mike taught him how to hold his bat.
After dinner we said our goodbyes, hopped in Mike’s truck, and began a conversation that would change our lives forever. Mike said “Honey, I know we have no idea what we are doing but we can’t split these kids up…let’s ask [the grandmother] how they feel about us taking the boys as well.” Angie said she was already thinking the same thing. The next day we called the grandmother and told her the decision we had come to. She was overwhelmed because she didn’t think anyone would want to adopt all three kids together. To us there was no option…these kids needed a home…and if they stood a chance at making it with all they were up against…they were going to need each other.
To be honest we have no idea what this new adventure will bring. And that is scary. But our Hope remains. For a few days Mike was a little overwhelmed and began to take a “woe is me” attitude. But during a late night conversation with God He reminded Mike of all the times we cried out to Him to hear our prayers and bless us with children. He then showed Mike that our prayers had been answered long before we realized it. Let us explain: God answered our prayers for a girly girl on Mother’s Day, May 13th, 2007. God answered our prayers for a brilliant little boy October 3, 2005. And the neatest part of this story…God answered our prayers for children even before we were married when Jon was born February 24, 2004.
We firmly believe in the sovereignty of God…that not only does everything happen for a reason, but it is also by design. With the little bit of time we have already spent with these kids we see ourselves in them all over the place.
Jon is tender, and he’s constantly looking out for the other two. He loves baseball and being outside. Wesley is so smart. His mind is constantly working to discover, learn, and experience new things. He loves basketball and the other two kids are very protective of him. Renee is a girl who is scared of nothing. She loves wearing dresses and cute shoes but rest assured she’s not afraid to get dirty. Her smile is big and her hugs are warm. She loves to help with everything.
For one reason or another each kid is behind developmentally…mainly in their speech, spelling, and writing. But their comprehension is off the charts. Once shown how to complete a task or how to pronounce a certain word they lock it in. We ask for special prayers for Wesley because his speech impediment is little more severe. He will no doubt need extensive testing and treatment. But he is so brilliant there is no way he will ever let this hold him back.
So today as you read this know that our hearts are full. I’m sure many will think highly of us for reaching out to these kids but the truth is we didn’t save them. Jesus did…and he blessed us in the process. We are so incredibly humbled by how God has made our dreams come true. And though we never considered adopting three kids at once we wouldn’t have had it any other way. I can’t wait for you to meet them. They will bring so much joy to our family and to each of yours as well.
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