Look at God: Our Journey to Adoption

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” — Jeremiah 29:11

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Dreams, Plans, and a Unique Desire

When my husband and I were dating, we had all the “big talks” — marriage, future, family, kids. Like most couples, we agree

d that yes, we wanted to have children. But we also shared a unique desire: adoption.

At the time, we didn’t know many families who had formally adopted, so this was a little unusual. Still, we both felt that seed planted early in our hearts. Little did we know how important it would become later in our story.

When Life Doesn't Go as Planned

Fast forward to married life. After a season of trying to grow our family naturally, we learned that we both faced challenges starting a family. (Insert dramatic pause here — how did two people with matching roadblocks wind up together?! LOL.) We were devastated, but here’s the silver lining: there was no blame, no resentment, no finger-pointing. We were in this together.

With hope still in our hearts, we decided to pursue fertility treatments. They were costly — and I mean extremely costly — but we somehow gathered the funds to begin the process. At the same time, we also started looking into adoption.

God’s Timing Is Always Better

We were told adoption could take 2–3 years. So our plan was: start treatments now, let the adoption process simmer on the back burner. Logical, right? Well, about a month after we began filling out adoption paperwork, we got a call from our caseworker: “You need to complete the paperwork ASAP.”

We thought, No rush, we know this will take years. But our caseworker insisted. Why? Because there was a young woman who had already decided to place her baby for adoption. She saw our profile and wanted to meet us.

Here’s the kicker: because this was a private adoption, the cost would be about the same as the fertility treatment we were about to start. Which left us with a huge decision: pursue a treatment with no guarantee, or step into an adoption opportunity where a baby was definitely on the way.

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The Fastest Pregnancy Ever

After much prayer (and a lot of late-night conversations), we chose adoption.

We finally met the birth mom — and surprise! — she was seven months pregnant. Seven. Months. Which meant our “someday” adoption suddenly had a countdown clock.

What normally takes nine months, we had to prepare for in two. Let me just say: baby registries and nursery prep hit different when you’re racing against the calendar.

Two months later, our beautiful baby girl arrived. What was supposed to take two years only took two months. Look at God!

Thirteen Years Later

That was thirteen years ago. Today, that baby girl is a radiant, funny, kind-hearted young lady who has blessed our lives beyond measure. We are living proof that adoption can be a beautiful, God-orchestrated story. She was meant to be ours, and she is fully a part of us in every way that matters. I will never regret choosing her — or rather, being chosen for her.

A Word of Encouragement

Friend, if you’re walking through your own season of family challenges — waiting, praying, wondering why things aren’t going as you planned — take heart. God’s timing often looks different than ours, but it is always better. Sometimes the very seed He planted early on is the one He intends to bring to life in His perfect way.

A Simple Prayer

Lord, thank You for writing stories more beautiful than we could imagine. Help us trust You with the dreams of our hearts, knowing that You are faithful to bring hope and joy in Your perfect time. Amen.

Have you walked through adoption, waiting, or unexpected parenthood? Share your story in the comments — your testimony may be exactly what another mom (or mom-to-be) needs to hear.