Running on Empty

Thank you for following. This is Day 27 of Our Adoption Adventure. If you missed the beginning, you can click here to start on Day 1. If you have enjoyed this series, please sign up by email so you won't miss future posts. Thanks!

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         The nurse called for a security guard to walk my husband and me, and the baby twins out to the car. Was the nurse concerned someone would be waiting for us in the parking garage? Did she know something we didn’t know? I was glad the security guard was there. But truthfully, God brought such a miracle in that hospital room, there was nothing in the parking garage He couldn’t handle.

         As we walked outside, the first thing I noticed was the sun. This was the first time since we arrived that the sun was shining, the rain was gone and the blue sky was back. After everything we had been through in the hospital, it felt like God was smiling  on the situation.

         I know we are all special to God and we are all His favorites, but I couldn’t help thinking, these are some special little boys. God loves them and has a wonderful plan for their life.

         After we buckled the babies in the van, and shut the door, I could not wait to leave that town. In the craziness of the last few days, we never filled up with gas. My husband said,

“We have to stop and get gas. We are completely out.”

         I didn’t want to stop anywhere in the small town. I felt like we were being watched and I didn’t want to have any more confrontations.

“Please, can we drive to the next town? I really don’t want to stop here. The next town is not too far, is it?” I asked.

“It is at least an hour away. The gage is right at the empty line.” He said.

“Please, I really don’t want to stop here. Maybe there will be a gas station along the way.” I begged.

Reluctantly he agreed.

         We breathed a sigh of relief as we drove out of town. It was a miracle the babies were with us. We were not sure it was going to happen until she signed the papers.

         We called several of our friends and family to pray for us while we were at the hospital. The grand parents, especially, were concerned for us. I wasn’t sure when we would have cell service again, so as we headed out I called to let my mom know it was over and we were coming home.

         She was relieved.

         “Do you have the babies?” she asked.

         I realized nobody else knew what was going to happen either. If not for Emma’s love and determination to give her boys the best life possible, the situation would have ended differently.

         “Yes, we have the babies.” I said.

         As it turned out, there was not a single gas station along the way to the next town.

         “Lord,” we prayed, “You have brought us this far, and we were foolish not to fill up, but if you could get us to the next town, we would be forever grateful.”

         I could picture us pulled over in the middle of nowhere, no cell service, carrying these babies, walking on the highway to the next town.

         100 miles. It was 100 miles to the next gas station. We drove almost two hours with the gas gage on empty. We were thankful we made it.

         Three hours after leaving the hospital, we finally arrived at our house. We walked in and our closest friends and grandparents were there to greet us. Our older kids hugged us and looked amazed at the little bundles.          

           Our living room was filled with baby gifts! These friends surprised us, and organized friends from church to bring over diapers, clothes, blankets, baby seats, bottles, toys, everything we would need for these sweet babies. While we were gone, they brought these gifts to the house and my Mom let them in. That’s why she asked on the phone if we had the babies with us. They were going to haul all of those gifts out of the house before we arrived, if we didn’t have the babies with us. It was one of the nicest things anyone had done for us. We were overwhelmed with gratefulness.

         Everyone wanted to see the babies. Our older kids were the first to hold them and feed them a bottle. They were moved with love. Our friends marveled with us at what God did, and how sweet these two precious baby boys were. It felt wonderful to be in our familiar home, surrounded by our friends and family.

         God is so good.

         We were relieved the babies were finally home with us, but the battle was not over. In bringing them home, we did something I swore I would never do. After the second birth mother changed her mind, I made my husband promise we would not bring a baby home until they were legally ours. It was painful enough to lose a baby before they were born. I knew I didn’t want to be in a position where a birth mother could change her mind after we brought the babies home.

         At the hospital Emma only signed a hospital release form. She had not signed any legal documents toward adoption or relinquishing her parental rights. In our state a birth mother can sign as early as 36 hours after delivery. Initially, I wanted to wait to bring the babies home until they were legally ours. It was so crazy and stressful at the hospital, we took the huge risk of bringing them home with no guarantee.

         You will not believe what happened next.

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Do you remember times when God moved mountains for you? 
Has He provided for you even when it didn’t make sense?

*** Click here to read Day 28. ***