Abbreviated version.

The worst day of my life became one of the best days of my life. I celebrate December 20 for two very good reasons…

It started over thirty-six years ago; my mother was dying. Ovarian cancer taken over her body. I hadn’t prayed since I was 12 years old, I didn’t even know if God existed because I had not allowed him to be a part of my life. But my mother’s illness was beyond anything I could imagine, she was still young, almost 58 years old.  I had been married nearly 9 ½ years at this point. We were unable to have children and were trying to adopt a baby.  I decided to pray one day to the God I did not know, out of concern for my vibrant Mom. “I’ll give up trying to adopt, if you could save my mother”, I said. (Not knowing you don’t bargain with God.) But I was reaching out. My grandmother had been praying for her dying daughter and said, “I still believe in miracles” and kept praying. I remembered her faith.

After that I had three dreams, three months apart.  In the dream we were going to adopt a baby girl. In one of the dreams the adoption social worker brings the baby to our home, not normally done. People said she looked like me. The third dream occurred about 9 months before December 20, 1990. (Important date)

We had signed up over a year before with a recommended adoption agency, and on November 15, 1989, the adoption agency’s social worker came to our home to do a home study. To start the process, we had already been fingerprinted with an FBI check, proof of financial stability, personal and professional references were verified, and medical information on our health, the works.

During this home study interview, I told her about my dream that we were to get a baby girl, even though we said either boy or girl would great on our application. She said, “interesting”.  As she was leaving, the phone rang, my husband answered it. As I closed the door, he hung up the phone and told me my mother had just died. I was numb.

The family’s concern was now for our grandmother and what to do with my mother’s home. One of my brothers had been staying with Mom, so he stayed and watched out for Grandma. My other brother was a deputy sheriff and changed his patrol district to include Grandma’s house. He would bring his lunch to her house to visit and check on her 4 times a week.

We continued the adoption classes through the next year. As the year passed others were getting their babies, one after another. Now it was December 1990, a very busy season in the health insurance field. I had deadlines that had to be met. It was December 20^th, I had brought work home that had to be in the next day. Working at the kitchen table, with the folders spread out but organized, I became overwhelmed. I knew I was not “right”, I was sad, I was getting depressed. I missed my Mom, I wanted a baby, concern for Grandma, I felt a void and I was the executor of my mother’s estate. My chest hurt and felt closed, had muscle tension, it hurt to breathe in.

I started crying, then started to pray, because I didn’t know what else to do. “God, I don’t even know if you are there, but I’m sorry for anything I’ve done wrong. I miss my Mom, and I want a baby. I can’t do this myself, please help me.”  That was about 6:30 PM, I kept working and crying at the table. At 7:35 PM I heard the garage door open and my husband’s car driving in. I dried my tears. He saw me working at the table and said, “You’re bringing work home?”  I responded, “I have a deadline, and it is our busy season.”  He was a federal worker and didn’t get it. My chest was still closed up and hurting. The phone rang about a minute later, my husband answered it, and all I heard my husband say was “Where is the baby now?”   WHAT! OH MY,  and my chest opened up and I could breathe. My next thought was THERE REALLY IS A GOD!  And his timing is perfect.

Our friend was a doctor in a small town, but only for three weeks doing a residency rotation. He had just delivered a baby girl at 7:27 PM and the mother said she was unable to take care of her. He thought of us and told her about us.  We called our social worker and the agency helped with the process. She drove to the town two days later and interviewed the mother and picked up the baby.  “The Stork” as we call her delivered the beautiful baby girl to our home on December 24, 1990. Yes, it was Christmas Eve, and it was my husband’s birthday.

So, everything in the three dreams I was blessed with came to fruition, every aspect of the dreams: baby girl, the social worker brought the child to our home, we didn’t go to the office to pick her up, and she does resemble me. People are surprised when they hear she was adopted.

This time of year, December 20^th is my Believer and my daughter’s birthday. The best day of my life.  I am eternally grateful and have continued to learn and grow in my walk with the Lord.  Later, I saw on TV, the Prayer of Salvation, I didn’t say all that in my prayer, so I prayed the Prayer of Salvation from the TV to make sure I was saved. But God knows what is in my heart and yours and my first prayer was the beginning of something good. Amen.

Merry Christmas everyone.