Beautiful things don’t always come easy. In adoption, the beauty to be found is so unique for every story. It is woven into the intricate details of brokenness. From infertility or unplanned pregnancy, to failed abortion or abuse. The beauty is hard to bring into focus in the very beginning. But as the story unfolds, there is a wild depth to the relationship created between the expecting family and the adoptive family, the giver and the chosen. Max and Kelly’s story is one of that wildness. Not in terms of crazy, but in terms of relinquishing a hold of control in a story they couldn’t. It is one of surrender to the Most High, hands and hearts opened to the unknowns. And a story of complete humility in loving a perfect, familiar stranger. Enjoy the words and story from Kelly’s perspective. It was a privilege and honor to be with their sweet family on this journey to sweet Luca. Adoption is beautiful, and not for the faint of heart. That is what we were told multiple times before we started our process of growing our family through adoption. We have two amazing biological sons and knew that we wanted to continue to grow our family, however carrying a child again was not a possibility. Our oldest son was born with special medical needs and we knew that through our experiences with him, we had something unique to give another special needs child. We started our journey with MacKenzie, who we fell in love with after just one phone call. We quickly got to work and did our home study, paperwork, classes, reading, and phone calls in a matter of two months. We knew from everything we read and heard that the waiting was certainly the hardest part, but for some reason I felt like God was telling us to be ready because our child was going to need us quickly. We became active in December 2021 and set up a get-to-know-you type call with one of our chosen agencies in January. We were having a wonderful chat and towards the end, I mentioned that we were in the process of updating our profile book to add a section about special needs. I think what she said next I will remember forever; “It’s funny you should say that. There was a baby boy born yesterday who is in the NICU and the family he matched with decided not to proceed.” I remember walking into Max’s office and saying, “It’s probably nothing, don’t get excited but…” From late that Friday evening to Monday was a whirlwind to say the least. We officially matched on Saturday, packed the car, left Texas on Sunday and arrived in Utah Monday, and ready to meet our son. I don’t think I have ever witnessed such a clear, intentional message straight from God before. There is not a doubt in our minds that He had his hand in scheduling that call at the perfect time, and giving us the resources to be able to leave at a moment’s notice. Our minds were so overwhelmed with all of the details that we didn’t even piece together the fact that our baby boy shared a birthday with our oldest son, who also had an extensive NICU stay. We were being prepared, through our experiences, to love him forever. We had the privilege of meeting our son’s birth mother when we arrived. She was still recovering physically and emotionally, but now also had the burden of having to get to know a new family; one she had not gotten to meet in person before the birth of her son; one that she had not prayed and cried over; one that was not in her original plan. I can’t even imagine how overwhelming that must have been for her, knowing that her son needed a family strong enough for the roller coaster ride of what NICU life brings. I will never forget the relief we saw in her eyes when we got to say to her, in person, we’re here, we’re ready, we love you, and we will always be here. She told us that she knew God had brought us there, at that moment, because we were the family meant for her son. She was thankful the other family left because it brought us to her. I will never forget that meeting. I will never forget being able to witness a sense of peace come over her and knowing that we played a small part in her beginning to heal. I know one day, our son will find peace in knowing how much she loves him and how much she went through so that he could find us.
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AuthorMacKenzie Mygatt Archives
February 2023
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