Happy 13th Birthday

Happy

13th

Birthday!

Thirteen years of praying. Thirteen years of waiting. Thirteen years of God teaching me that His ways are far better than I ever could have hoped or dreamed.

Thirteen years ago our faith became sight as God placed you in our arms for the very first time. Just a little over a day old when we first met; but conceived in our heart long before.

It was New Years Eve 1996 when with quiet resolve that your Dad and I knelt beside our bed and said a prayer that would forever change our lives. It went something like this, "God, whether You ever bless us with a child or not, You are our God! We lay down our wants, our wishes and desires at your feet. Above all else, may your will be done in our lives today, and forever."

No more wanting what we wanted, more than we wanted what God wanted. No more trying to bargain. No more wrestling with God. No more infertility treatments. That night, we layed it all down.

January 4th, 1996 we received a phone call that to this day still blows me away. On the phone was a lady that my husband had met a couple of times out in the community. She represented a private adoption agency not far from our home. Her question, "Would you and your wife be interested in adopting a baby?" She told Randy that she just couldn't get us off of her mind.

At the time she didn't know if we had any children or were even looking to adopt, but felt compelled by God to call and ask. Yes they had a waiting list. Yes they had many couples already approved and just waiting to be matched up with a baby. But as always, this godly lady committed the selection of parents for each baby to prayer. So she placed the call.

January 5th we met her at a local restaurant and we shared and cried together. Overwhelmed by what God was doing in all of our lives, how He was orchestrating the entire thing. To see Him working everything out, according to His plan was like nothing I had ever experienced before. And by the way, this special gift would be arriving within a matter of weeks.

So many details to work out. The home study, the adoption expenses, the attorney fees, the medical expenses. We had made no preparations. How in the world would everything be completed in time. When it's God's timing, all of the paperwork, all of the details, everything is under His control. Everything was completed without a hitch.

On a Wednesday night I came home from church to a ringing phone. A familiar voice was on the other end of the line. Her words, "Your son has been born! You can pick him up tomorrow." I sat down on the chair, no breath in my lungs, nothing would come out. Totally speechless!

We named you Jonathan which means, "God has given" or "Gift of God". In our lives, outside of Jesus, you have been the greatest gift that God has ever given to us. In giving you, He did the impossible, the improbable, the miraculous. He poured out His love for us in a tiny bundle of joy that filled our hearts greatest desires.

Thirteen years later, you continue to bring us tremendous joy. I am so proud of the young man you are growing to be. I can't wait to see where God is going to take you in the next 13 years of our lives together. I love you with all of my heart! Mom