Today, November 5th, is Easton's birthday and this morning when I opened my Bible to Proverbs 5 (because today is the 5th, of course) I was moved to tears as I was given another gift from the Lord. You see, Easton is adopted and the first two words I read this morning, from Proverbs 5:1 were, "My son."
He came to us from the hospital on a Wednesday, when he was just four days old. He was a scrawny five pounds and was very quiet. I don't remember him crying much and when he would guzzle down just two ounces of formula then fall asleep with a full belly curled up on the spot just below Eric's shoulder right above his heart, he would sleep soundly until his next feeding. Three days later at a life group picnic I kissed him for the first time. He was starting to feel like "My son."
I had been reluctant to love on him worried my heart would be broken should he have to leave but after caring for him for just three short days I was head over heels in love with the little guy. As I showed him off at the picnic I instinctively kissed him on his head then instantly realized what I had done. It felt so natural and so easy. No longer was he the baby we were fostering, he was, "My son."
You can imagine the heart ache we felt when we were called the following Monday and told that he would be leaving. A judge had ruled that he could live with his birth mother provided that she would be able to care for him at her court assigned living facility. I was devastated. It had taken five days for me to develop a bond that would last a lifetime and he was leaving. After the case manager picked him up I went inside and cried like I hadn't cried in years. The next day was my 29th birthday and I celebrated with a broken heart. I prayed like crazy for him and that if God would so choose to bless us with being able to raise this little boy, somehow He would give me back, "My son."
Five weeks later, again on a Wednesday and just four days before Christmas, he came back. His birth mother was not well and could no longer care for him. Needless to say we had a wonderful Christmas and though there were many ups and downs, twists and turns over the next two years, on December 20, 2007, Easton 'officially' became "My son."
As I think back to all the "coincidences" that we encountered on the journey to adopt Easton I can now completely see they weren't coincidences at all. They were God's way of leading us through a wilderness performing miracle after miracle to bring me to the place I am today, celebrating "My son's" fourth birthday.
He came to us from the hospital on a Wednesday, when he was just four days old. He was a scrawny five pounds and was very quiet. I don't remember him crying much and when he would guzzle down just two ounces of formula then fall asleep with a full belly curled up on the spot just below Eric's shoulder right above his heart, he would sleep soundly until his next feeding. Three days later at a life group picnic I kissed him for the first time. He was starting to feel like "My son."
I had been reluctant to love on him worried my heart would be broken should he have to leave but after caring for him for just three short days I was head over heels in love with the little guy. As I showed him off at the picnic I instinctively kissed him on his head then instantly realized what I had done. It felt so natural and so easy. No longer was he the baby we were fostering, he was, "My son."
You can imagine the heart ache we felt when we were called the following Monday and told that he would be leaving. A judge had ruled that he could live with his birth mother provided that she would be able to care for him at her court assigned living facility. I was devastated. It had taken five days for me to develop a bond that would last a lifetime and he was leaving. After the case manager picked him up I went inside and cried like I hadn't cried in years. The next day was my 29th birthday and I celebrated with a broken heart. I prayed like crazy for him and that if God would so choose to bless us with being able to raise this little boy, somehow He would give me back, "My son."
Five weeks later, again on a Wednesday and just four days before Christmas, he came back. His birth mother was not well and could no longer care for him. Needless to say we had a wonderful Christmas and though there were many ups and downs, twists and turns over the next two years, on December 20, 2007, Easton 'officially' became "My son."
As I think back to all the "coincidences" that we encountered on the journey to adopt Easton I can now completely see they weren't coincidences at all. They were God's way of leading us through a wilderness performing miracle after miracle to bring me to the place I am today, celebrating "My son's" fourth birthday.
Happy Birthday Buddy. You have always been and will always be, "My son." I love you.
Forget cooking dinner tonight! We're going out to eat! Woo hoo!
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