"The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent."
Every problem that arose was submitted to Him and we watched time and time again as He went before us taking care of every little detail.
Here is a condensed version of our adoption story:
On October 30, 2012, Kenny asked if I wanted to adopt an eighteen month old little boy. I immediately said yes! He told me a childhood friend of his sister's was being forced to terminate her rights. She had asked his sister to adopt the baby, but Nicole was getting married soon and did not feel it was the right time to be adopting. Knowing we had been trying to conceive for three years, she asked us if we would want to adopt him.
At the beginning we did not know if this would be a quick, private adoption or a long, drawn out process involving the state. Unfortunately, it turned out to be the latter, yet still completely part of God's plan. I knew from the moment I saw this picture, Joshua was ours! I had several secret names picked out for the children I hoped to have some day... Joshua was one of them. This confirmed that adopting him was part of God's will for us.
The Lord divinely hand-picked our attorneys and case workers, ones who were willing to fight on our behalf. Not only that, they were Christians or friends of friends of ours. God truly does care about the details and I felt it was His way of confirming the process. Day after day, week after week, month after month passed while we eagerly waited to meet him... all in His perfect timing.
On February 7, 2013 we saw him for the first time! I remember wanting to hold him and take so many pictures but I couldn't. We were being watched by CPS and his foster mom. I didn't want to make any wrong moves. First we had supervised visits at his foster home. Then we were able to take him out for a few hours. Next he came to our house for a few hours, then overnight, and finally for a weekend.
After what seemed like an eternity, we finally brought Joshua home for good on March 17. Thankfully, and yet only by another act of God, we were able to celebrate his second birthday on March 31. (Originally he was supposed to be back with his foster family.)
And so the process of adoption began. Monthly visits from attorneys and case workers seemed like they would never end. We heard so many different stories about how this process would be conducted and how long it would take. I was often tempted to become discouraged and question whether he was really ours. But I consistently laid every decision we had to make before the Lord and it was so amazing to see His mighty hand move time and time again. We were covered by such a blanket of peace.
Originally, we were told this would be a six month process from the day he moves in with us. Yet September rolled around and nothing was happening. When I asked our caseworker, she told us the first six months licensed us as foster parents and now we would need to begin a six month process to adopt. After several more emails and phone calls trying to figure out the truth, we were told this could all be solved privately... and immediately (which I've learned still means six months)! However, this also meant more money. I am forever grateful that Kenny agreed to move in that direction.
On October 22 we became official managing conservators of Joshua! All we lacked now was a court date. Our attorney knew we were due in November with our second baby boy. He worked hard to move the process along, but there was no rushing the state.
On June 16, 2014 (twenty months from first hearing about this) we arrived at the Denton County Courthouse early in the morning to finalize the adoption! It was a perfect day.
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| (left) Alison Grant, Joshua's state appointed attorney and (right) Andrew Passons, our lawyer. God used these lawyers in MIGHTY ways to smooth the way for us and make this adoption possible. |
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| I LOVE this picture! Joshua is finally, LEGALLY, ours!! |
My prayer is that Joshua will know how much He is deeply loved by His heavenly Father... that He will see how the Lord's hand has been on his life from the very beginning.
Joshua was born two months premature and weighed just a little over two pounds.
Oh how I wish we could have been there holding him, praying over him, and loving on him every minute of the day. But one thing I know for sure is that he wasn't alone. His loving Daddy in heaven was with him during that time. And God, in His sovereign wisdom, saw fit to bring Joshua into our lives at the perfect time. What a beautiful blessing he is.
He is always laughing, always happy. He can take anything and make it fun to play with. He loves being a big brother. He follows daddy around wanting to help and be just like him. He is so helpful and polite. He brings such joy to our lives and I can't wait to watch him grow up as a leader of the Wright tribe.
My prayer for Joshua:
"This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:8-9
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