Amy and Justin
Amy and Justin always knew they might adopt, but thought they might have a bio child first. So they went down that road, which ended up being a hard one. After fertility treatments and two miscarriages, they felt God had closed that door. But like any great parable or bible lesson or real-life miracle, whenever He closes one door – he swings another wide open for you.
So they prayed. If God wanted their family to grow through adoption – he was going to have to guide them every step of the way. And he did. Though it was a long process, He was faithful – giving them strength and encouragement and even the funds needed to fulfill His calling. With friends and family at their side and on their knees all along the way, their daughter Avery was born and came home to a happy family.
Four years later, they look back at the fertility trials, and miscarriages, and long adoption process and they see God working through it – commenting that “pain is never wasted.” Amy and Justin now feel like adoption is their family’s calling – both as a way to grow the family and as a way to show other’s how faithful God is. He’s put other couples in their path that they can relate to and feel thankful there was purpose behind those trials.
The decision to adopt again was an easy one because they knew the joy that would follow. Again, they prayed God would lead and guide and work in his perfect timing.
As it turned out, they would also need God’s healing hands.
Waiting for them in the NICU was a 24-week-old 1 lb 7 oz 11” long boy being taken care of and prayed over by an incredible group of nurses. He’d been in there for months on all sorts of breathing and feeding tubes when Justin and Amy got the call there was a baby needing a family. Had the prayers, the support, and the funding not been there, they would’ve had to say no, but this was the child God meant for them, and He made everything available at the exact right moment. They said yes and went to see Luke for the first time, in his NICU room.
What they expected was a frail little baby, but what the found was a happy, chunky-cheeked, perfect boy. They brought him home and within six months, he was completely weaned off oxygen support and given a super healthy check up by his doctors. In fact, they all say how incredible lucky the whole family is. Luke should have major complications with how small and premature he was, but there’s none that. He’s great.
Watching him play with learn the ropes from Avery, you can’t help but see clear evidence of his life’s verse – Luke 1:37 “for with God nothing shall be impossible.” It’s checkups with the doctors, visits with friends, and talks with other families who’ve gone through it that allows everyone to see the family’s calling, God’s promise, and the gospel so evident.
When asked what advice they would give to other couples thinking about adoption, they said “Adoption seems scary and overwhelming, but if you say yes to what God is calling you to, He will be faithful to provide everything you need. What seems impossible, will always be possible with God.”