God unites families for His glory

My new friendship with Michaela Stanton is one of the sweetest gifts from our trip to Washington, D.C., in September. She tells the story of us meeting in her post, but our time together as part of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute’s Angels in Adoption program was just the beginning of God uniting our shared passions for advocating for adoptive and foster families. Our families have some shared birthdays, like to do some of the same things, and have plans in the year to come.

Please welcome Michaela to the porch today as she shares a piece of her family’s story as National Adoption Awareness Month closes.

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I woke the morning of Nov. 21, 2017, in Ethiopia, hopeful yet anxious. I’ll never forget the scripture on my mind on the day I got to tell a judge I will love my daughter forever. Once I read Isaiah 25:1 peace came upon me. “Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago.” Perfect faithfulness. Wonderful things. Things planned long ago. Yes to all of that. I soaked those words deep into my heart and rested in them. Our wonderful daughter was God’s plan for our family long ago because of His perfect faithfulness. Praise The Lord!

His glory shines in every adoption story. Just as every birth is His miracle, so is every story of adoption. As I reflect on Nov. 21, 2017, as we celebrate our first anniversary of being a family of five, I rejoice, mourn, hurt, and love so much more deeply. That day was predestined by our Savior and happened right in the midst of National Adoption Awareness Month and Thanksgiving season.

Our daughter doesn’t deserve the heartache of her story, but I have faith the Lord will use it to redeem so much more than her first 26 months of life. Isaiah 25:1 not only gave me peace the day I went before the judge to claim her as ours, Isaiah 25:1 is God’s scripture for Sara claiming her as his. He has great things planned for her life.

I always pray our lives will glorify God and we will never seek to own our stories but let the world know they belong to our Savior. I had no idea what that looks like day to day, but when we were invited in July by U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell to join the annual Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute’s Angels in Adoption ceremony on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C., I immediately began to ask the Lord to go before us and keep his story of our Sara’s adoption his and not let us make it ours. After all, Sara is his and he is the only one who has been with her since before her birth. He knows every coo she made, every tear she cried, every hunger pain, every smile, every fear and every trauma she has and is overcoming.

In late September, we joined hundreds of other families from across the United States to celebrate adoption and children finding forever families. I prayed Sara’s story would glorify God during this trip, but I was not prepared for the overwhelming burden for the orphan that resurfaced in my soul. Washington D.C. was more than just a trip to accept a pin, talk about God’s story, and spend time with my family.

God gave us so many gifts during this trip. The first was meeting Kristin Taylor! Seriously, how did God hide her and Greg from us for so long? I mean, my husband and Greg graduated from Murray State University in 2000 then Kristin and I graduated in 2001. So we went to college together for four years and we never met. We met in the lobby of a hotel in D.C.!

Another gift was meeting in person an adoptive momma who I connected with during our Ethiopian adoption walks. Kelli Belt from Oklahoma is a powerful, strong, supportive mom who (who knew!) also was good friends with Kristin! {Kelli also shared here recently!} It was a sweet three days of celebrating children, meeting friends face to face for the first time, and meeting new friends who you feel like you’ve known forever! Our God is in the details, friends! He is such the perfect gift giver.

James 1:27 has never rung truer than after our visit to Washington D.C. I had this scripture on the back of my tank when I ran my first half marathon. It’s a scripture that lays on my heart and sends me into prayer asking the Lord where He is leading me. Sara’s story is one of thousands of stories of children finding their forever home. Our time in Washington, D.C. reopened my eyes not only to children internationally without families but also to children in our own backyard who are begging for a family.

As Christians, we can easily get into our own bubbles without even realizing it. Serving those that are easy to serve, loving those that are easy to love, but James 1:27 calls us to pure religion, which is to take care of the orphans and widows in their distress and to not be polluted by the world. Meeting and spending three days with fellow adoptive families who have fostered 50+ children, those who have adopted 10 children, those who have adopted one, and those who spend their entire lives advocating for all children, I see God at work for His children.

All of this is overwhelming from a human perspective, but if we turn our heart toward Jesus and simply ask what our next steps are, He will guide us. And that’s exactly where I am right now. What are my next steps in helping foster children, supporting foster families, and advocating for those without a voice?

As I continue to pray about where the Lord is calling me next, please know I am praying for those of you who are in the trenches of adoption – whether it’s waiting, post-adoption, or serving these families. The spiritual warfare is real! But goodness, these children are so worth it!

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Michaela Stanton is a wife and mom to three who seeks Jesus every day. She lives in Louisville, Kentucky, and is passionate about adoption and family.

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