Thursday, August 12, 2010

Redeeming God- Adopting Father


Over 11 years ago, my daughter Brianna and I started a journey. The two of us set off as a family, navigating this world ahead of us. I loved being a mom, and personally thought I rocked at it most of the time. However, we both dreamed of a day when there would be more than just the two of us.

Even as I was pregnant, I prayed that my daughter would one day have a father. Her own biological father hadn't stepped up for the job and I believed that God had a plan for her to have a father. I taught her that God was her father when she was little as asked about a daddy. When she was three, in the fall of 2002, she prayed that God would bring her a human daddy, a prayer filled with faith, without a single doubt that God would indeed answer her prayer. The next day a gentleman came up to us at church and without thinking said, "what a cute family! Where's your daddy?" She looked at him as if he had just asked the most absurd question. "Silly, I don't have a daddy yet. God's still working on him." How right she was!!! At that point in time, while I was in my first year at Seminary, the man who would step up for the job of "daddy" was in his senior year of High School. God was indeed still working on him. It would be years before he would be ready for the job God had for him.

Over 5 years later, I met a young man who I almost wrote off due to his youth. However, he was surprisingly mature for a man of only 22, almost 23 years. We hit it off and he was great with Brianna. It wasn't long before we both realized where it was heading. In the morning of April 27, 2008, Mike approached Brianna in secret to ask her if she would be ok with him proposing to me, and then becoming my husband and her father. She was definitely ok with it. September 28, 2008 Mike said vows to me and then turned and said vows to my beautiful daughter. I don't think there was a dry eye in the church.

It took forever it seemed to complete the process of Mike officially adopting Brianna, but on Monday, August 9, 2010 (Also known as 8-9-10) Brianna walked into court with my Maiden name as her last name and walked out as a Wheeler. She had officially been adopted. Mike has been a great dad to her for almost 2 years anyway, so it was mostly just a formality, but he is now her father in every sense that matters.

It reminds me of a journey we all take. We wander around for years looking for something to fill a hole in our lives- often a "daddy-sized hole." When we find God, it is the perfect fit. He adopts us as his own and as we accept him as our father, then he gives us his name. I am no longer just Amy...I am God's child. Brianna knew God as her father long before she knew anyone else as one and I pray that she will always know just how much both her Daddies love her.

3 comments:

  1. Wow, that was beautiful. I am so thrilled for you ladies and the amazing man God has brought to you both!! May God richly bless your family!! Love y'all!!! :-)

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  2. I cried during your wedding ceremony, and my eyes are wet with joy again... I'm so very happy for all four of you. :) Happy belated adoption day, Brianna!

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