Answered Prayers

Elijah,

When we sought our journey to adopt, we kept our plans quiet at first. Once we got through the initial stages of training and preparation and paperwork, we felt compelled to share our story - not in an effort to solicit empathy or attention, but rather to allow participation. We felt our journey was a way to share with others the miracle of adoption, educating and providing awareness, but more importantly allowing others to participate by joining with us in praying for a miracle.

So many people joined with us as we prayed and waited and went through the emotional ups and downs of interviews and waiting for our child. In November, I was given the opportunity to share our story for the ladies Thanksgiving banquet. We were each given a name to pray for of one of the ladies present. I had never met my prayer warrior and she hadn't met me, but after hearing our story she committed to praying for the child God had for us.

In God's providential plan, she would meet "Riley" - a foster baby. He was being fostered by a family whose grandson was marrying her granddaughter. That "Riley" is you, our Elijah, and she met you before we even did. She had no idea - at the time - that you were to be our child, but after we put it all together, we were all amazed at how good God is.

And then there's Ramey. Ramey is someone I've never met and won't be able to until heaven. Just days ago, she lost her battle to an aggressive brain tumor. But today, one of her good friends shared with me how in the fight of her life she was praying for me, for daddy and for you. She didn't want to focus on her pain and her depressing situation, so she asked about others and she heard about our story. They told her how we were waiting and praying for a baby. And she too started praying.

She had never met us and we had never met her. We were praying for her healing and for God's touch in her life and all the while, she was praying for God to work in our lives. In what would become some of her last days on earth, she heard how God had answered our prayers. Just like we were told 'no' to having our own children, she was not given the miracle of healing. But she was given the hope that a Sovereign God has a perfect plan for each and every life. God's plan for her was to bring her to her heavenly home and God's plan for us was bring you to our home.

"Trust God when He says no
You're still blessed
There must be a greater yes."

Thank you Jesus that you answer prayers. Though they are not always answered in the way we think or hope, we have the assurance that there is always a greater yes.