Destiny

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Devotional Stories for Women

BY: Janis Bonnie

Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from Him.
Psalm 127:3

My husband and I tried for about a year and a half to get pregnant. We went through one round of in vitro fertilization and got pregnant, but lost it at about three weeks. We talked about domestic adoption, but feared falling in love with a child and then having the birth parents change their minds.

One day, my father-in-law took me to an agency that specializes in international adoption, and we were shown videos of some children who were up for adoption. The first video I saw was of a little boy from Russia who was 8-10 months old. I fell in love with him!

I took the video, two pictures, and an application home and showed them to my husband. Looking at the little boy in the picture, my husband said, "He's got Grandpa's ears!" He was referring to my grandfather, who had recently passed away. Needless to say, we filled out the application and started our journey toward adopting our son.

As the process went along, there seemed to be so many coincidences, or signs of destiny, as I called them. My son's birth mother's birthday was the same day as my mother's. The information provided about the child was done on my birthday. We kept asking for an update on his weight and height, etc., and finally received it on my mother-in-law's birthday. We went to court in Russia on my husband's birthday. But to me, the biggest confirmation of all occurred on the day before we left for Russia. We finally received the rocking chair we had been waiting for from my grandfather (the one who recently passed away).

I always tell my son he was my destiny. I found a photo album that I use as his scrapbook, and the word DESTINY is written on it, along with the saying, "If I could sit across the porch from God, I'd thank Him for lending me you."

All children are God's gift to us, no matter how they become part of our lives. Three short years later, God blessed us with another gift -- our daughter, also from Russia. Although there weren't as many signs of destiny there, I truly believe she was meant to be our daughter, too.

MY PRAYER

God,
thank you for the gifts
that you bestow on us each day.
Help us to understand that our prayers
are always heard by you,
and answers to them are forthcoming.
Even when we are unsure of the outcome,
please help my faith in you to never waver.

Amen.

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