Adoption Story: Kenny + Laura
I had the pleasure of walking with Kenny and Laura through the adoption process. Perseverance is the word I would use to describe their character throughout the ups and downs of the journey to their baby girl. Adoption is not for the faint of heart and looking back I'm in awe of how the Lord gave Kenny and Laura the strength and faith to trust Him through the unknowns and uncertainty. Today Laura and Kenny share a bit of their journey that led them to their daughter.
Eighteen months ago we woke up and had our normal breakfast. During breakfast we received the phone call. "Are you ready to adopt?" That was the question we heard from the agency. We had been waiting for a year and 8 months so we were extremely ready and could not believe this was the call! The agency let us know that this expectant mama was in labor and asked us if we could be there that evening. It was about a 4 hr drive to the hospital. After discussing, talking to Kelly Todd, our consultant with Christian Adoption Consultants, we decided to go for it! So, we scrambled and made arrangements for our children and hit the road.
When we arrived at the hospital the nurses came and brought us to meet our baby girl. She was beautiful! After our visit we found a hotel for the night. The next couple of days were up and down. At one point we were told expectant mama had decided to parent. We understood, but were heartbroken. We called our consultant, Kelly, and family to tell them the news. Sadly, we started driving home. Then, hours into our drive we unexpectedly received a call that there was a miscommunication. She did in fact want us as the parents of her baby girl. We turned the car around and drove back as she was about to be released from the hospital and we wanted to make sure we got there as soon as possible.
Talking to Kelly was very helpful during this time to be reminded that God was in control of our situation and we could rest in that truth. It was quite a whirlwind, but through that time Shane and Shane’s song Psalm 130 became a comfort for us. "I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope" (Psalm 130:5). This verse in particular brought us peace. We could not put our hope in having this baby girl join our family but we could put our hope in God, who cares and loves us. God was in control and knew what was best for our daughter, birth mom, and our family. We were called to love this baby girl and birth mom the best we could and trust God with the outcome. Our daughter has been an incredible blessing and joy to all of our family. We are thankful that we waited on God's timing and provision. His ways are always best. The waiting was hard at times, but knowing God had a plan made it easier to trust Him.
To families in the wait right now, our advice is to keep your hope in God and trust in His timing. Keep persevering because in the end you will look back and know for certain that the child you are holding in your arms was worth the wait.
***If you are interested in learning more about adoption and the services we provide at Christian Adoption Consultants, I would love to chat! Email me, Kelly Todd, at kelly@christianadoptionconsultants.com to request a FREE information packet!***