A-B-C...N!

For Hope and Faith,

"All is well. Breathe. Courage. Nurture." These were the main messages I received from God tonight.  I will breathe and have faith in God's plan for us to parent and nurture His children, and I will have courage to stand up against injustice.  As MLK, Jr. said, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."

Today, we called our social worker as she had instructed us to do to set up our third and final home visit for the last week in February.  She told us that there were three people ahead of us and that she had to be gone for a week in February and a week in March for work, so she could not see us until March 28th, that was the soonest she could see us.  We have felt since the first time we met her that she didn't want us to have you two because it was a worker from another county who told us about you.  I'm usually pretty good at "reading" people and felt that she was trying to make a power play of control to show us she was in charge.  We do try to always give people the benefit of the doubt, though, and we prayed that God would allow us to look past our emotions and have empathy for this worker.  When we met her the second time (6 weeks later) and she still had not looked through our folder, called our references, or sent for our background checks from Colorado, we felt more sure that she was intent on us not becoming your parents.  Near the end of that second home visit, which we thought would be our last, she said that we would have one more in 6 weeks, just to make sure that everything was okay and that she would look through our file, call our references, and send for our background check from Colorado, as she still had not done that.  She told us to call her in four weeks to schedule an appointment for six weeks from then, the last week in February.  When we asked if we could call in a couple of weeks to set up something in three to four weeks, just to make sure we were on track, she said, "I could just deny you right now, but I'm trying to give you the benefit of the doubt.  I don't think you're bad people, but I don't really know that."  It was then that we figured we better just keep our mouths shut and do things her way so that we didn't lose you.  I had read about other workers who decided the potential adoptive parents seemed too interested in a child or did not comply the way they wanted and failed their home study.  We complied, waited, and prayed.  Then, when we called today and it became evident that she does seem to be trying to keep us from getting you and still probably hasn't read our file, called our references, or gotten the other background check, we knew that we had to do something.  We were so scared of losing you.  Both meetings she told us that you two would not be available when she finished our home study, that she didn't want us to get hurt.  We think it was actually more of a promise.  The thing is, she didn't count on our love for you, or that your mother will never give up on her children.

We have now requested to pay for a private home study, as we feel that is the only way we will receive fair treatment in this county.  We will find out next week if we have to take this higher.  We know you are meant to be ours--on that front, All is well (or will be once we do what we need to) and that there will be hidden blessings from our being forced to stand up against injustice.  First, we have to Breathe and have the Courage to do what we know is right in order to get the reward of being able to Nurture you. A-B-C-N.

Who knows, the hidden blessing could be that we teach you to fight for what is right and good.  Stand up for what you believe in and those you love.  And, always expect the greater reward...God's reward.

Happy Valentine's Day, Sweethearts!

Your advocate and champion,
Mom and Dad