“Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:” ~Psalm 103:1-2

Three weeks ago, I got a message from a friend about a situation that could possibly be the answer to years and years of prayers. A lady was expecting a little boy, and she wanted us to adopt him. We’ve been approached about situations like this before, but immediately, this one seemed different. We decided to take the weekend and pray about it, but things started happening fast, and it was clear that God was doing this.

For the past three weeks, we have been visiting doctors for physicals and tests, getting fingerprinted, exchanging countless emails and phone calls with attorneys and social workers, making trips to and from her home state, and wading through mountains of paperwork, but God has allowed everything to fall perfectly into place.

We are so excited to announce that Sunday morning, June 10, 2018, at 12:25 am, our son was born! His name is Gideon McCheyne (pronounced McShane- named after Scottish preacher Robert Murray M’Cheyne), and we’re calling him Mac. He was 6 lbs 10 oz, 19″ long…and he immediately stole our hearts.

As much as we are head over heels in love with him, I have been constantly reminded over the last few days of how much God loves me. He brought me through so many days, months, and years when I struggled with anger, hurt, uncertainty, and depression. He tenderly and patiently worked on me and showed me grace and mercy when I needed it so desperately. His encouragement and his rebukes were never anything but kind. He showed me the darkest, ugliest parts of myself, then He showed me the loveliness of His Son. He molded me and changed me into who I am, and He gave me the contentment and peace I craved for so long. He helped me to see that everything I could ever possibly need is only found in Christ. I have Him…and He is enough.

Just when I became so completely satisfied in Him, He made me a mama just because He can.

I have cried so many tears of joy and thankfulness over the last few days, but as I saw my husband holding little Mac Sunday afternoon for the first time, I thought my heart would explode. Then I heard that Still, Small Voice say, “See how much I love you?” Y’all, I was a puddle of tears. I worshipped the God who gives and takes away…and sometimes gives again because He likes to give us a taste of just how deep His love for us goes.

Our little Mac is an answer to so, so many prayers, but so was the contentment I had before he arrived. After going through the struggles of the last almost 10 years, I have fallen deeper in love with my Savior than I ever thought possible. Our precious little baby does not complete or define me no more than does my husband or anything else in my life- only Christ can do that…and He does it so perfectly.

My heart has been so full of love for my Lord these past few days because I’ve been experiencing anew His heart full of love for me. Though he doesn’t yet understand, my husband and I have already started telling our sweet little boy of how much God loves him too.

My cup runneth over.