Special Delivery

As we were getting ready to adopt Luke, there were many preparations to be made. He was our first child. There was the bassinet, the crib, the stroller and car seat, the high chair, the bottles--you know, all the gear. I think I had 5 different showers for him with different friends who were so excited for us. On top of that there was the travel plans to be made. He was in Indiana and we were in remote California. We had to plan flights, time off from work, a hotel, what to bring, what to buy there--it was a little overwhelming. In the back of my mind I knew that she might change her mind. I didn't think she would, we had talked on the phone, flown out to meet her and her parents, emailed, it was as good as any adoption could be. But the reality that she could change her mind was always there.

On top of the plans was the cost. Adoptions are not free--too bad huh. We had saved and saved. When it came to buy plane tickets, we would have to buy tickets open on both ends. We didn't know for sure when he would be born, or how long paperwork for interstate clearance would take. I called all over and the cheapest I could find was $1000 per ticket. I was dying. Europe would have been cheaper. As I was complaining to some friends, another friend overheard me. Sylvia is a friend from church, a grandma, maybe great grandma. She is a wonderful lady, everyone who knows her would say that--so generous and just a good friend and neighbor to everyone she knows. She walked up as I was talking and said, "I need to give you my frequent flier miles. I have too many, I don't know what to do with them. You need them to pick up your baby." (They ended up giving us some sort of gold status which was wonderful!) I didn't know what to say. I was blown away. I offered to buy them from her, but she smiled and said "You need your money for your family, please just take them." Then added, "Maybe you can give me credit in his baby book for helping 'deliver' him," and she laughed.

I can't list all the people who helped us so much with our adoptions. Many are probably behind the scenes and I've never met them. Many might never have met me or the babies they helped. But my heart is so full of gratitude for them. I like to call them our "Special Delivery Storks."

One stork in our story is my good friend Carrie. When her mother-in-law mentioned a sister's granddaughter that needed to place her babies in a loving family, Carrie spoke up and said, "I know someone. They would love those babies. They are great parents and good friends of ours. They are hoping to adopt." She followed the story and filled me in on the details. When it came time for the boys to be placed, she made the connection between us and the birth family. They would not have come home to us with out her--or her mother-in-law, aunt-in-law, or any of the family that worked so hard to care for and love our two little guys.

Miracles happen because of ordinary people stepping up and helping others out. Neither of these ladies sacrificed their homes or their food budget, they didn't even give up a day of their time. They didn't make the whole thing happen, but were one link in the chain that brought us to our boys. They had their hearts and ears open to love and serve. They helped build our family.