My Christmas Miracle

I'm a little late with this post. I meant to write this two days ago.

Josiah and Daddy (he was about 5 months old).

You see...11 years ago on December 10 about mid-morning...Troy and I sat in a court room and received parental custody of a two-week-old baby boy. We had only seen him twice. Both times were at a small foster care agency that was handling our foster care until our paperwork was in order.

The first time we sat and held a sleeping Josiah we cried. I've shared this before, but when he finally woke up and looked at me with large dark eyes I felt like I recognized him. Like I knew him.

The second time we saw him was the same day we met his beautiful young birth mother. She looked like she was 12, though she was 15. She had beautiful long blond hair and big blue eyes. She told me that she felt like she was giving me a gift. And indeed she was. I loved her the moment I saw her and still pray for her every day.

The third time we saw Josiah was after we sat in front of the judge. We had to swear that we were who we claimed to be. Troy almost couldn't squeak out his name because he was so overcome with emotion. Then we drove and met his sweet foster parents at the agency and loaded him in our own car. Because I was so afraid that something was going to go wrong (this wasn't our first adoption attempt) we had only purchased just a few things ahead of time, including the car seat. We immediately drove to Walmart (with my mom in the back seat) and picked up all the necessary items to bring a newborn home. Troy and I couldn't keep our eyes off of him.

Josiah wore this outfit to his final adoption court date (he was 6 months old).

The next few weeks were hectic and strange. Because we were adopting out of state Josiah and I couldn't leave to go home until the state we were adopting from gave us the all clear.  We stayed with my sister. The agency  told me to hold him as much as I could so that we would bond. I didn't have any trouble with that. I think I held him as much as I could until he started walking! He doesn't seem to have suffered for it.

Our arrival home was surreal. Family started pouring in to meet the new member. Troy's Mom and Dad drove from Indiana...their truck loaded down with baby clothes. He was one of their own from the very beginning. The same with my parents. Josiah is as much their grandchild as any that share their DNA.

My beautiful baby.

When I look at Josiah now I don't see myself in him. But his face is as familiar as my own. I know every expression and gesture. This little life...which did not come from me...is as precious to me as any child would have been that would have come from my body.


11-years later I am still in awe of our miracle. I am overwhelmed by how God did it all. I didn't become a parent in the manner which I had expected. I never imagined I would have to deal with infertility and loss. I spent plenty of time in anguish over what I thought my life should look like. Turns out that God's plan was pretty awesome.

Sometimes...when I am feeling a little blue...I just have to look at my beautiful, funny, creative and quirky boy. I am reminded of how God came through for me...of how He blessed me. It doesn't get any better than this!

11-years-old. Such a lovely young man.

Rebekah