I listened to the song “Blessings” time and time and time again after Jayce’s premature birth and my hysterectomy. For nearly a year, I cried so many tears that it would be impossible to count them all. But God never lost count.

He turned my tears into faith. He created a trust that helped me understand that the trial I was facing would be His mercy in disguise. I had faith that one of my greatest disappointments, which was causing so much aching, was the revelation of a new plan that God would put before me. That faith and His mercy were finally revealed when Jayce was nearly four months shy of two years old.

God’s love showed up on January 27, 2016. It was on that snow-covered Wednesday evening that the most precious, frail, congested, dehydrated, severely underweight 4-month-old baby boy was delivered to our side door by the director of our foster care agency. The sweetest little boy who was wearing newborn clothes and who was most likely experiencing withdrawal symptoms was placed in my arms.

Just a few seconds after I first held his tiny little body, he quickly began screaming from hunger pains. As his formula was being prepared, nothing I did consoled him. It was that very minute that I realized A.J. wasn’t just small and sick, but he wasn’t a typically developing 4-month-old baby. And those shrill, raspy, inconsolable cries did not end for the next four days. Despite the hard battles he faced, he was perfect. Despite the neglect he had endured, he was a fighter.

We all fell in love with him the moment we saw his precious little face. It didn’t take but a few moments to understand that we were ready to do anything God asked us to help him begin to thrive. Nothing that he was going through was his fault.

God knew what A.J. needed. I trusted Him to get us through whatever was thrown our way. He trusted our family to nurse A.J. back to health. He trusted us to clothe him, feed him, and, most importantly, love him. What an honor to be used by the great Physician.

During those first few weeks, we watched A.J. gain weight literally right before our eyes. We could just see the pounds being packed on. Really! It was amazing and all God. He gained almost 4 pounds during the first 2 weeks! And we watched him grow longer and longer. The newborn and 0-3 month clothing were put away almost as quickly as they were gotten out of storage.

We not only got to watch him get bigger, but we also got to watch him learn how to trust. It took several days and hours of working with him, but he finally realized that hugs and kisses are normal. He learned not to straighten his back and pull to the right side each time we picked him up. I absolutely melted the first time he rested his head on my chest and fell asleep without a fight. At that moment, he finally accepted my love. He finally understood what it meant for someone to meet his every need right away.

What a humbling, challenging, yet rewarding experience those first few weeks were. As the days turned into weeks, weeks into months, and months into nearly two years, God reminded us over and over that A.J. belongs to Him.

Through the process, we all had to take deep breaths and understand that God knows all things. Early on, we had to become content with whatever He decided. We had to let go and let God. We realized how blessed we were no matter the outcome. Deep down, we all knew how hard it would be to say goodbye, but we trusted the Lord. He’s the only one who knows what AJ needs and where he belongs.

We are glad that God is in control of such life-changing decisions. We could have never made such an important decision for our little guy or our family.

Our sweet boy has been loved more than words can express for the past 21 months, and today, God changed A.J.’s last name! Today, he was adopted!! 💟

Longsuffering always brings forth great blessings. God is good through it all. And some of our greatest blessings do come through our most difficult trials. Don’t ever let your faith waiver. Trust the Lord with all your heart! He will show you great and mighty things! He will make the impossible possible by giving you the desires of your heart!

After Jayce’s birth, it felt like my chances of adding more children to our family had ended. It felt impossible. My womb was gone, and adoption felt so expensive for an already large family. I felt so unworthy. But God said, “I’m not finished with you yet. It’s not about your worth. It’s about mine. My ways are not your ways. My ways are better!” And, in His timing, He sent us a sweet baby boy who needed a family to love him and care for him. Each time I look at our son, I am reminded of what a miracle worker God truly is.

Ephesians 3:20King James Version (KJV) – Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.

(The above verse was shown to me by a friend when our family was anticipating whether or not an adoption request from a birth mom in our jail ministry was going to happen. I later realized that it was the same verse that was on the devotion that I read to the birth mom the first night I met her. That devotion was written for September 15th, which is our precious A.J.’s birthday. God knew what He was doing. He sent us the possibility of adopting a baby girl four months before he sent us A.J., so we would know that He was the one who brought us our son. His plans are best. Even when I had no idea that our son – the one God meant for us- had just been born when I was reading that devotion to the birth mom, God had all of the details worked out. God IS Able!)