Where Do I Find the Words....

...to express what happened in our lives today?

All I can say is a meeting between two couples took place today and God was very much there. I know no other way to describe it.

J. (the birthfather) and S. (the birthmother) were two people that we felt like we had known our entire lives. J's first words were "I have to tell you I've never been this nervous in my life. I didn't sleep at all last night." We all chuckled because none of us had. What was supposed to have been a "to bed early" kind of evening turned into a sleepless one as I mulled over the facets of our profile--the one with which these strangers had become so familiar.

In his opening comments, J. broke into tears and excused himself from the meeting for a few moments. In a nutshell, he explained (mainly directing his comments to my husband in a "man-to-man, father-to-father" sorta way) that he had chosen us because he felt that we could give this child the parents--mainly the father--he never had. They held hands tightly as they discussed their troubled past and all the ways they hoped that this adoption would prevent the same thing from happening to their child. I can't express the respect and the bond that I felt with them at that moment.

We were amazed to discover the process that occurred in their selection of our profile. J. had first taken the stack of profiles and, after careful deliberation, had selected us. Without informing S. of which couple he had chosen, he gave them to her. After reading through them, she chose ours as well. Upon learning this, they decided to give them to her parents who, amazingly, also chose us after reading the stories of the different families presented. If ever I have been humbled by the handiwork of God...it was then.

As we grew more comfortable with each other, we talked about our lives, our passions, our families and our faith. The last one is the one that provided the most poignant memory from today. J. looked my husband square in the eye and said "I have never been much of a church person but I have just started going to the church where my Dad went before he died. Tell me about your faith and what you believe."

Knowing full well this was the most important question of the day, Keith leaned in and proceeded to deliver the most unbelievable testimony I'd ever heard. Tears welled up in his eyes as he talked about his love for the Lord and all the ways we had seen his hand in our lives. If nothing else folks, today we had an upfront and unmistakable opportunity to share our faith. That in itself was worth the trip.

A piece of exciting news was that S. goes for her dr. appointment tomorrow to find out if/when she will be induced. As you can imagine, we are anxious to hear the outcome.

Without going into every detail about the meeting (mainly because we are in the middle of getting ready for our final home study visit tomorrow) I will leave you with this:

Six people met in the back corner of a restaurant today. Two were caseworkers who had planned on having to facilitate a pre-birth meeting between two very nervous couples. Instead, the conversation flowed, tears and laughter were shared and stories both tragic and uplifting were relayed. A hopeful couple on the brink of having a dream come true listened to the struggles of a couple whose biggest decision of their lives is looming. Blue eyes locked upon brown searching for acceptance, forgiveness, trust and empathy.

All were found.

Hugs were exchanged, a bond was formed and God was honored.

Regardless of the outcome, I am forever changed by the meeting we had today. My heart is full and my faith is renewed. Thank you God for this most precious opportunity. And, if you are reading this, thank you for caring and sharing in this amazing journey.