Adoption Story: Brittany + Michael
I had the immense JOY of walking with this sweet family on the journey that led them to their beautiful baby girl! The adoption process is no easy feat, and their unshakeable faith and hope-filled perspective inspired me throughout the twists and turns that are often synonymous with adoption. Brittany & Michael, the entire team here at Christian Adoption Consultants could not be happier for your family. Today, Brittany shares a tiny sliver of the beautiful story God crafted (and continues to write) for their family. I know it will be an encouragement to you today!
Throughout the same time period of learning about a really hard and scary medical diagnosis for our precious son, we had also been struggling with infertility. Each of the two times we were able to get pregnant, our babies went to Heaven. As we grieved each of our losses and began to heal, there were many days and nights of prayer, tears, lament, and long discussions about what to do next. We believed that the door to having biological children was closing at that time.
Before marriage, we shared with each other a strong desire to adopt someday. We dreamed of having children close in age, whether through adoption or biologically. We also thought it would all happen on our own terms and timeline. But, of course, life often unfolds differently than we imagined it would.
We heard about CAC through our close friends who had adopted through them two years prior. We began working with Kelly Todd, and she was incredible! We started the process in May, and out of nowhere, we got pregnant. It was a miracle! However, a few weeks later, we lost our baby. Kelly was so kind and compassionate towards us as we continued grieving. Eventually, we moved forward and picked up where we left off in the adoption process.
Waiting for our “yes” was one of the hardest things we had ever walked through. We did not expect each “no” to be as heartbreaking as they were. Before entering this process, we knew we needed to surrender our desire for a child to Him, knowing full well that it may not be His plan for our family to bless us with a baby. We often had to ask ourselves, are we desiring a child more than we desire God? The Lord sees the whole perspective. We do not. And so, we put our trust in Him. Asking Him to prepare us for His will. We knew His timing was good and right and perfect, even though the wait and the unknown were extremely hard.
Throughout the waiting, Kelly was always there. She encouraged us, prayed for us, and was available whenever we needed her or just wanted to talk. She was always so responsive and ready to be there for us! After a few months of waiting and hearing no after no, we began to get discouraged. We were eventually able to celebrate that every time we heard no, a family out there heard their “Yes!” But that didn’t change how hard it was.
After a period of waiting, we received a message that we had been hoping to hear for so long. I picked up the phone and heard, “She chose you!” I’ll never forget how those three words made my heart overflow with joy and excitement. I immediately started bawling and couldn’t even process what she had to say next because I was so excited and completely in shock! I called my husband and Kelly right away, and we immediately began praying for and preparing to meet the incredible woman who chose us to raise her daughter.
A couple of weeks later, we made the long drive for baby girl’s birth! We got there early to meet her Birth Mama and to make sure we were there for the delivery because she wanted me in the room with her. Thirteen days later, it finally happened! Serena Belle was here, and she was perfect. All the pain, heartache, waiting, and tears made sense when we finally held our precious baby girl. Our daughter’s birth was indescribable. I’ve never witnessed such strength from anyone as I did with her Birth Mama. She is the bravest woman I’ve ever known.
Although the next few weeks didn’t go as expected, we were amazed at how God continued to provide in all the details. Our extended stay meant even more opportunities to spend time with our daughter’s Birth Mama, which was a blessing. We spent hours getting to know each other, and she was able to spend more time with Serena. I’ll never forget how my heart felt when I would hear her talk to Serena, saying things like, “Your mommy loves you so much” or, “Your mommy knows you so well already” as she was referring to me. It was bittersweet leaving her, but we are so thankful that we get to walk in an open adoption with her. When we started the adoption process, we knew we wanted an open adoption and prayed for it diligently. We are so glad that God heard and answered our prayer. We cannot imagine our life without our beautiful daughter and her amazing Birth Mother.
We never could have known that the plans for our lives would look so different from what we had imagined, but it is better than anything we could have dreamed. Daily, we have clung to His love and His promises. Isaiah 43:1-3 reminds us who God is and His unfailing love for us. These verses have been incredibly comforting throughout our journey and we hope they will be an encouragement to you, wherever you are in the adoption process:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and the rivers will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, and the flame will not burn you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, and your Savior.”
***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
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