Adoption Story: Eric + Marissa
I had the joy of working with Eric and Marissa throughout their adoption journey! I was amazed by their strength and grace throughout the ups and downs that come with this process. Eric & Marissa, the entire team here at Christian Adoption Consultants are rejoicing with you! Today, Marissa shares a little bit of the story that led them to their son.
Adoption is something that Eric and I hold really close to our hearts, and it was a conversation that we had early on while we were dating and into our marriage because we knew it was something we both wanted for our family. When we felt like God was leading us in this direction, we began to talk about how to get started. My sister-in-law told me about Christian Adoption Consultants, and we completed our home study and began applying to different agencies.
I remember the anticipation during the beginning stages of this process being nothing like I had ever experienced. Thankfully, we had Kelly to help answer all of our questions, pray for us, and check in every step of the way.
We experienced several months of “no’s,” which we learned to receive as “not-yets.” In the beginning, when you are told “no,” it’s easier to pick yourself up and keep going. However, the more “no’s” that we received, the more I began to start feeling defeated. The feeling was something that the enemy was projecting on me, and I knew deep in my heart that these feelings were lies. We knew that our story wasn’t over, so we continued praying and trusting God through all of the “no’s.”
One day in the summer, we got a phone call that we had been chosen! It was a baby girl, and she was due soon. I can remember this day so clearly. We felt so blessed and thankful! We told all of our family and close friends, and with not much time before her due date, we started making preparations.
But then we were told that the adoption plan would not be moving forward. The words “failed adoption” entered the conversation. I sat there on the phone in silence. We were devastated. We knew this was a possibility in the world of adoption, but you just never think it’s going to happen to you..until it does.
We took time to grieve this loss, and then when we felt ready, we began presenting again. About 4 months went by, and then we received the news we were chosen and matched for the second time! We were so excited! However, the excitement was short-lived—another failed adoption.
We went through a roller coaster of emotions that day and in the days to come. We had so many questions. In the midst of the confusion, though, I almost immediately felt peace about the situation, which I wasn’t expecting. I could hear God whispering to me, “Do you trust me?” The answer was, “Yes! 100%” Whether we understood or not, we trusted God and His plan. He knew the desires of our hearts because He created us. He is faithful, and He keeps His promises, and that is what we clung so tightly to during the days to come. We very quickly picked up the pieces and moved on.
A week after we received the news, we presented our profile to another expecting mother. Four days later, we had a phone call with her. Before we got off the call, she told us that she wanted us to be the mom and dad of her child! Our son’s Birth Mother gave me the privilege of being in the delivery room as our son entered the world! It was at that moment that I experienced a love like I had never known before, and I thought to myself, “Thank you, God, for trusting me with your child that you so perfectly created for a purpose and on purpose.”
God’s hand was in our son’s story. In the moment, it is always easy to question the why and how, but looking back, I know that God was preparing our hearts, and during the waiting, we just had to trust Him. He walked alongside us in the deepest of valleys, and He never left our side. Here we are now, with our precious son that God so graciously gave to us.
***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 to receive a FREE inquiry packet.***