an adoption story

every now and then i come across a story which tugs at my heart.

i bet that happens to you also.

i know we can't contribute to every fundraiser and every financial situation and every friend in need ... i mean, i wish we could. because heaven knows there are lots of opportunities to come alongside someone -- there are lots of people in need.

heaven knows, many of us have been that family in need. sometimes it's about money. sometimes it's about more.

mark and mindy's story is like that.

mark and mindy had plans for a family. dreams.  but after many years of infertility and various treatments their desire for biological children seemed more an impossibility than a dream.

they began to look into adoption, something which mindy always had a heart for.

they made a decision to be done with the infertility treatments and move on to the adoption process. after saving diligently, mark and mindy were able to completely pay for their son's adoption in 2009.  they joyfully brought isaac home at three days old.

and they rejoiced!

this couple with dreams for children soon became even more convinced that adoption was God's intended plan for their family. some believe that for couples dealing with infertility issues adoption is a "plan b" approach or a lesser opportunity to become parents. like, "well, if this doesn't work, you can always adopt, right?" believe it or not, i've heard that a time or two.

but that wasn't the case with mindy and mark. it might be different in method, but it was just as much a part of God's perfect provision as having them the old fashioned way. and really, truly adopted children are just as much our children as biological children. i know some people have a hard time believing that ... trust me, though, it's true.

recently when i was writing about our own family i made the comment that we had four children naturally and one supernaturally.  i think that fits perfectly! and there's just nothing secondary or "lesser" about that.

so mark and mindy decided to move forward one more time. another domestic adoption was on the horizon. after waiting for over two years, they were finally chosen by a birth mom. the situation was complicated and there were some concerns, but nonetheless, they went forward with the adoption. and on december 18th, mindy was in the delivery room when their baby girl, ava rose, was born. they brought her home in time for christmas and they rejoiced in the gifts of these two beautiful children. mark and mindy and isaac welcomed this little dark haired beauty into their arms and they became a precious family of four.

except that four months later, the birth father dramatically disrupted the adoption. ava rose was taken from them and returned to the birth mother.

can you imagine? can you imagine this family's devastation?

mark's sister, lynne, (my dear friend), wrote this:

 "The heartbreak was crazy... like a death.  We were all reeling when it ended the way it did. That was in April.  Since then M and M have been so faithful to trust the Lord to bring good out of this incredibly painful situation. They have really been grieving, but through their grief wondered when they would be ready to have their profile shown again by their agency. Just when they had decided maybe they would call and tell the agency to go ahead, they got a call saying they had been chosen.  It's much quicker than they were thinking... but sometimes God's timing is that way!" 

mark and mindy were surprised when the agency called them this summer and said another birth mother had chosen them. would they consider? YES! they are thrilled to be matched again and confident God is leading them back down this path. though vulnerable and a little fearful, they are trusting in the perfect timing of their heavenly Father. they trusted God's plan in their infertility, in their first adoption, in the loss of ava rose, and now they are stepping boldly into that humble place of complete trust once again.

here's the deal though, friends: adopting babies takes money. we all know the natural way is much less expensive. but adoptions require big funds. and for this sweet family, they had already used the money saved on the adoption of ava rose -- the adoption which didn't happen.

now, this new baby is due in october and that doesn't give them much time to come up with the money needed.

mark, mindy and isaac would love to move forward in this new adoption, but they are in need of support. i don't know how much or how little you could give ... but, as a friend to this family, i would love to ask you to pray about it and consider. 

i write a lot in this blog about children. sometimes i write about the inconvenience of children and the weariness of motherhood. yes, that's reality, but stories like this one make me ashamed of those feelings.

children are a precious gift from God.

i can't explain why He chooses for some of us to have them easily and uneventfully, while others have to struggle financially and physically to become parents.  i don't get that. it doesn't make sense to me, but, i assure you,  it is one of the questions on my when-i-get-to-heaven list! 

mark and mindy desperately want this baby. they need some help to quickly come up with the funds for this adoption. would you take a look at the fundraising page and prayerfully consider? some of us are called to adopt children. some of us are called to pray. some of us are called to help provide the funds. all of us are called to something.

 please take a minute and click on:  erdmann adoption

behold, 

children are a gift 

of the Lord ~ psalm 127:3