This little ray of light is home now but like many adoption journeys, this one was full of fears and loss of control and in the end, reminders that God is always perfectly in control and nothing catches Him off-guard. He loves to see His children learn to trust His perfect plan and to bless them in the process. They learned in very real and tangible ways that this is God’s story and they need only to trust and follow His leading.

Adoption was always something D.J. and Emily had talked about, even when they were dating. At that time, however, they assumed they’d pursue adoption after starting a family with biological children. God had a different plan, however, and it was nothing like they expected. After several years of infertility and very real grief, they began to realize that maybe adoption had always been God’s Plan A for their family. Their prayer then, and now, was that God would give them clear direction and peace about their decisions.

We first met with D.J. and Emily around Christmas, 2016. They had just experienced yet another failed IVF treatment but were ready to learn more about the adoption process. Using that Christmas season as a time to discuss adoption with some family and friends and to prayerfully consider the timing, they signed on with Victorious Hope Adoption Consulting in mid-January and started their home study soon after.

By April 7 their home study and profile booklet were complete. That same day, they learned about a potential match and three days later found out that they had been chosen by this expectant mother and their baby girl was due in just over a month. Throughout that month, they learned that even though their adoption was going to have some openness attached to it, the expectant parents did not want to interact with D.J. and Emily in the hospital, and that they preferred that D.J. and Emily just show up at the hospital at the time of discharge. D.J. and Emily used this time to pray for the expectant parents and for doors to open with opportunity to meet them and to begin to build a relationship.

The day came when they received the news for which they had been waiting. Their baby girl had been born and they made arrangements to fly out to meet her. After a long flight and a hurried layover with no time to check in with their caseworker, they arrived only to find that things were not going as planned. The birth mother had been discharged from the hospital and they had taken their baby girl home with them. D.J. and Emily feared that they would be going home with empty arms and found themselves sick to their stomachs. They called us and we talked and prayed together and in the end, placed everything in God’s hands. Things quickly changed again and they found themselves invited into the birth parent’s home, spent several afternoons visiting with them, getting to know them, and interacting with their baby and her sisters. Both sets of parents were able to take her to her first doctor’s appointment.

*Photo credit Nicola Herring Photography

Baby Girl’s name means light and her story has many aspects which confirm God’s light shining in and through her, bringing Him all the glory. When D.J. and Emily found out the city and state where their baby was to be born, their pastor offered to connect with a sister church in the area. D.J. and Emily have been blown away by the generosity of the families there. They received housing, meals, financial assistance, a car, and fervent prayer support from their new friends. Despite the ups and downs, D.J. and Emily have found peace ruling in their hearts and lives. And even most amazing is the timing of their daughter’s birth: Just over 9 months after finding out that their first IVF transfer did not work, they are now holding their precious daughter in their arms. And Memorial Day has taken on new meaning, and will always be a special day for D.J. and Emily, as relinquishment paperwork was signed on this day. They believe with all of their hearts that this little girl was God’s plan from the beginning of time. She was chosen to be their daughter just as they were chosen to be her parents.

D.J. and Emily summed up their story of light and redemption with these words, “It’s not OUR story – it is God’s story He wrote for us… We are grateful for the journey God has led us on and feel like He has answered our prayers for direction and peace.”