HAPPY GOTCHA DAY TREY MALACHI

One whole entire year ago, 7 people woke up early to meet a lawyer and a judge at a courthouse.

With Trey in suspenders, and everyone else in their church clothes, we met to hear the Living God say a resounding YES that would never fail.

When things may have freaked us out... had us holding him tighter in the months before this date in 2012... nothing sounded better than this yes from the Lord.

A piece of paper stating all other rights were terminated... that from this day forward he would be called Trey Malachi.

It may have lasted a total of 10 minutes, it may have only included the reading of addresses and phone numbers and then a beautiful, "I have no reason to not sign this document."  It may have been just another case for this judge and this lawyer.  It may not have been the most dramatic story or longest journey.  But it was the most beautiful, beautiful moment ever.

You know, I've never understood the Crazy Awe-Inspiring Mountain Moving abilities of our Savior until this moment.  Suddenly all the hours of waiting for a baby and all the moments spent watching the face we thought we'd have to give back or when we found out our first adoption wasn't going to go through or when a phone call came just came crashing down in one spot that I wasn't thinking about anymore.  Our entire adoption process took 9 months total.  With a failed adoption and precious journey like no other, God brought our baby to us in the way He wanted.  One day it was a birthmother's information on an email, and the next it was a face in the airport, and the next it was holding her baby, and the next it was her name on a piece of paper surrendering him to us, forever.  And if you're a waiting adoptive parent, you have to keep waiting.  You have to keep looking at the Cross and you have to keep waiting.  9 months felt like a long time, but I know people who have waited 33, who have waited 3 years.  No child is worth giving up on.  No amount of money or paperwork or waiting should lead us astray from God's calling.  Your baby, your son, your daughter, your brother or your sister is waiting.  And what God has conquered for us on the Cross means that waiting is possible.  

We used to dream of an African baby, we really did.  And God gave us an African baby, He sure did.  One little thing that was not needed or even thought of for one second in any of the paperwork turned out to be what my parent's and our whisper was way before.  He gave us a baby who's father is literally from Jamaica, and who's mother is literally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  He gave us the relationship none of us ever thought we'd have with his birthmother.  He brought her to us in such a way that I still cannot imagine how she found us.  It was only God, oh, all of it was ONLY GOD.  

And you don't understand how many people have asked me if we're all "bonded" or what my brothers "think" about having a baby.  It doesn't take very long to look at a baby - no matter what his color is - who the Lord chose as your baby and feel bonded, and nobody had to think about having another baby.  He just was.  And today, as he has fully come into his own little personality, who walks now, with his hands in the air laughing at himself because he is just so very very proud, who wrestles with his brothers, who is completely and utterly the happiest baby ever, he is so perfect for my family.  The Lord could not have made a better choice.  I cannot think of one thing that God did not perfectly create to make us laugh because it's just so us.  

God truly doesn't make mistakes.  And on this day, one year ago, a baby boy who was born to a different woman was joined together with us forever and ever.  It is a beautiful tragedy, a broken beauty.  It is a choice we do not take lightly.  We gotcha, Trey Malachi!  And we will, forever.  I love you, baby.  Happy Gotcha Day, you are so worth it.