AMAZING
Written by Linda.
Names have been changed to protect privacy.
Summer 2010
When I opened my email and read the Christian Adoption Prayer Calendar, I saw we were on the list today! Thank you for thinking of us and continuing to pray for our family. We include all of the Christian Adoption families in our prayers.
We’ve had an amazing year!
Mariah has been with us for 9 months and we’ve come so far. When we first brought her home our worlds crashed. We were stressed, fighting a lot, financially drained and I became very depressed. It’s not that I didn’t want Mariah, but because she was 18 months old when we brought her home, we missed those first months of her life. I yearned to have those months. I wanted a precious infant and instead I received a child with what I perceived as a difficult personality. She was very stubborn and acted like a guest in our home. It was hard to love her, especially when I wasn't sure if I liked her. We also worried about her health (high lead level) and her speech challenges. Mariah screamed a lot in the beginning, but I now know it was due to her frustration because she couldn’t communicate with us.
It was also hard to bring home a child that was barely acknowledged by friends and family. We thank God for the recognition we received from the Christian Adoption Family and the special gifts that were sent for Mariah. It seemed that family and friends didn’t view her as our new daughter; they didn’t embrace her. The worst part in all of this turmoil was that I prayed less, instead of more. I was so physically and emotionally drained, I just wanted to go to sleep at night. I was worn out and I knew I wasn’t making the right choices. However, over time God answered our sporadic prayers and things began to get better.
Mariah's speech improved slowly and then began to take off. She’s almost where she needs to be for her age; her speech therapist says her progress is amazing! God also opened up a financial opportunity for us. Olin's passion is renovating homes and we bought a “diamond in the rough” foreclosed home. We’ve renovated it and will rent it for additional income. This is a huge blessing from God! He answered my prayers to provide for Mariah’s adoption. But, the downside was Olin was gone many nights, leaving me with 3 kids, a part-time teaching position which often felt full-time, along with the house. Again, I was drained and instead of praying more, I prayed less. And I knew it was wrong. In my heart I knew we were blessed, yet I let my own exhaustion interfere with my relationship with God. God continued to bless us, in spite of me!
Mariah has made a major transformation over the last few months. She’s blossomed in every way imaginable! She’s smart, happy, confident, loving and I’ve fallen deeply in love with this precious child! This was a love that developed over time. I did pray, as the Christian Adoption Family did for us, that Mariah and I would bond to each other. I’m thrilled to say that it’s happened! We’re VERY blessed! Mariah has attached to us in a very healthy way and we deeply appreciate all the Christian Adoption Family prayers. They’ve been answered! Mariah is talking in 2-3 word sentences, understands everything and communicates! It's amazing! She’s kind to everyone and her stubbornness is 90% gone. Mariah is a joy and we’re so happy we followed God's guidance. I can’t imagine our family without our wonderful Mariah!
As I reflect over these past 9 months I realize that God loved me and blessed me even though my prayer time had decreased significantly. I’ve wondered why He’d bless me even though I drifted away. The amazing thing is that although I drifted away, I never felt like He left me. I continue to be amazed and more importantly, THANKFUL beyond words.
This summer I’m tackling a cure for Aleck. Many children have recovered from autism and although Aleck is older, I’ve found a wonderful Dr. whose practice is biomedical intervention for autism. We’re looking into the medical causes of Aleck's autism. I know this may be a long journey, but I need to do whatever I can to help Aleck become his best for God. Please pray for him and us—we deeply appreciate it.
Deborah, do you have any plans to travel near us? You’re always welcome to stay here! I look forward to meeting you one day and giving you a big hug for all of your help in building and supporting our family.
Love,
Linda
(Olin & Linda are the
amazing parents of 3 awesome children supported in prayer by
Christian Adoption!)
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