Family works through illnesses to welcome new baby into their home

In late July, my family was hit with type A flu, which landed my 3-year-old son in the hospital for three days.

While I was caring for him, I became ill with flu, strep, and pneumonia. Because I was so sick and in bed for a week, I had to miss our family vacation to the lake. While at home, I received a phone call from a friend from Bible study asking if I knew any Christian families willing to adopt a baby to be born within six weeks.

As a women’s health R.N., I’ve witnessed many infants go home to bad situations; it was a no- brainer to immediately offer to adopt this baby ourselves. I was able to get the ball rolling with a social worker and attorney and build a relationship with the baby’s birth mother before my family returned home from vacation.

As a very active person, having to stop all activities and lay in bed made me restless. I had nearly all the paperwork completed, appointments made with doctors, vaccination requests submitted, finger printing scheduled, and paperwork filed with my employer before my family walked through the door.

My husband and I soon met with the mother, who is an amazing young woman who selflessly chose adoption after finding out she was pregnant at 28 weeks along. She went to deliver just three weeks later, giving us about 21 days’ notice to prepare for something we never thought we would be able to do.

Besides filing all the paperwork, completing a home study, and doing all the many things necessary to qualify to become adoptive parents, we received an outpouring of love and support among our community. Within two days of responding “yes” to adopting the baby, we depleted our savings in securing our legal team. But God works in amazing ways. Within a few days, we had a fundraiser set up at a friend’s restaurant, and by week 3 we were blessed beyond measure with financial gifts and almost every item that had been quickly put on a baby registry. Friends provided for us by bringing over baby gear and others planned baby sprinkles.

Our new son’s mother asked me to join her at her remaining obstetrician appointments as well as to be present at the delivery. I was able to meet our baby immediately after birth and spend three days in the hospital with his mother. She was overjoyed when we presented her with her very own pink leather ESV Bible; each day it was open on her bedside table. She intentionally gave her son a biblical name, and we are so thankful for her doing so.

We left the hospital with our new baby on August 23, less than four weeks after the initial phone call regarding adoption.

What had begun as the worst illness to overcome my youngest and myself, God used for good. Had I not been in bed recovering, I wouldn’t have answered my phone about a baby in need of a forever home. I look back and see God in every moment orchestrating it all.

Because my youngest son was in the hospital, we had to submit a need to Samaritan Ministries, something we had never had to do. It was all shared.

Since I had to call Samaritan because of my son’s need, I asked about adding our soon-to-be adopted son to our membership. I may have started crying out of sheer overload. Not only was he added to our membership right then, but yesterday we came home to a gift box from Samaritan that included a beautiful plaque stating “Be Still and Know That I Am God,” as well as a beautiful handwritten letter from staff praying for our sons by name and for our family and our new normal. I have never felt so loved by strangers in my life. I am blown away by the support of this ministry.

Our last couple weeks have been lifechanging, and we still have a few more months to await our adoption finalization, but we praise God for a beautiful, healthy baby boy and we thank Him for providing for more than what we need. We praise Him in the storms and when things appear calm.

We see His handiwork at play everywhere.