I remember it well.  June 6, 2006 was just like any other Tuesday, but there were some events that would unfold before our eyes that would change the trajectory of my/our future forever.  On June 1, we were approved as foster parents for a local agency.  The morning of June 6, Cindy got a phone call about a little preemie girl (4 pounds, 5 ounces) that was in need of a home.  At the time, we were told that this child would be available for adoption and they were only going to place a child in a home that was interested in adopting her.  Were we interested?  Cindy said “Yes” right away, and then she called me. 🙂 That was about 11:00 in the morning.  Later in the afternoon, Cindy and I showed up at a local hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and told the nurses we were there to pick up a little baby.  Without checking our ID or anything, they placed a beautiful little bundle of joy into our arms.  Almost 9 years later, she is winning races.  Lots of them.

12 hours before then, it was just another day.  And all it took was one phone call to change our lives forever.  Adoptions are often like that in one way or another.  For couples open to adoption, they get the phone call, they have a conversation with someone, or they receive the e-mail like we got on April 20, 2013 that started off: “I know this is a long shot, but…”  For many couples, they do the preparation, the home study, the paperwork, the fund raising, etc.  But eventually they receive news about a situation, and in that moment they need to make a decision that could be life-altering.  

This past weekend, we received a phone call from an attorney who was in desperate need of a family that would take a risk and put their lives on the line for a one-day-old newborn little boy who would be placed in the care of the county children and youth agency if a proper adoptive home could not be found… in less than 30 minutes.  Within that period of time, a home was found, and from that day forward, a family, an extended family, and possibly all of eternity was changed because a couple had the courage to step in and provide protection and covering and blessing for a little child that would otherwise have potentially fallen through the cracks.

(This situation is known as a “stork drop,” by the way.  They don’t all happen this way, but they certainly do happen from time to time.)

This moment of decision is often something that adoptive parents can fear.  But for followers of Jesus, we can be confident that GOD has chosen the right child for us, the right situation, the right family.  He is not surprised at what happens.  He knew all along that there would be that vulnerable child needing a home, and he also knew all along that there would be that couple whom God wanted to grow their faith and trust in Him.  

That’s just like it has always been throughout Scripture.  God used tragedy, difficulty, hardship, struggle, and fearful situations to test someone’s resolve, to grow him or her to become more like Jesus.  That is God’s economy; that’s how He works.  And twenty years down the road, when we look back on our lives, we recognize the hand of God in all of it.  

Are you open to the phone call, the e-mail, or the conversation, whatever the situation?

“God, we recognize that left to ourselves we tend to go for the easy, the comfortable, and the predictable.  But we know that in order for our faith in Jesus to grow, we must be open to You ordering our lives, Lord God.  So we submit to You, Jesus.  We trust you, and we have faith in knowing that You are the one who knows our family, and You are the one who knows exactly what we need.  So today we wait on Your perfect timing for each couple who is engaged in this adoption process.  Bless and keep us, we pray in Jesus’ name, AMEN.”