One cold dark night in January of two years ago, the phone rang. It was one of the ladies in church, “Gloria, do you know how I could reach your sister Mary Grace right away?”
She went on to explain how they were notified by someone else that a newborn girl had come into the foster system, and her foster mom would need a baby sitter for her while she worked five days a week. And now my friend was wondering if Mary Grace would consider babysitting her.
Consider? Doesn’t it look like a dream come true? Why, how vividly I recall the days Gracie was a little girl, instead of playing “Mommy,” she and her sister, Anna Faith, would line up all the dolls thy could find and have multiple sets of twins and triplets in their “orphanage.” And yes, it was her, at a very young age, that had sparked something in my heart that was later led to the adoption of my own two dear children.
Now a couple years ago as Mary Grace and her husband, Jason, discussed the potential of adoption, Jason told her, “If God wants us to adopt, “He’ll be able to drop a baby off for us.”
Now this call on a blustery January night was not about adopting, but it was about a baby, and it was a hard situation, she was taken from her biological mother, and was now in a foster home where the mother needed to work.
I assured Mrs. Lehman that I would see if I could reach Mary Grace right away and let her know what’s up.
While I waited to hear back from Mary Grace the children and I gathered in the living room where we prayed for this little girl and that Jason and Mary Grace could babysit her, according to the Lord’s will.
The very next day the foster mom brought dear little Serenity to my sister’s home to talk with them. After that meeting my sisters and I all went to Mom’s house where we discussed many angles of the situation — Mary Grace really planned to start babysitting her the following day, the foster family had their hands full, what if she would come up for adoption?
They found out all about becoming parents in the blink of an eye. In a short time they were asked to keep her over night, and weekends, as well.
Over the course of the next two years, Mary Grace and her husband had become licensed foster parents, gone through stacks of paper work, and home studies, and have dealt with the anguish of not knowing what would happen with this precious little girl. It was evident that little Serenity loved her new home; how we loved this darling girlie wit blonde hair and blue eyes.
Gracie faithfully kept us updated over the months that past … it looked like adoption would be on the radar for Serenity … would they have a chance? We prayed and we waited.
Yesterday was a day we will remember for a life time. Jason and Gracie, their parents, some close friends, and siblings gathered in a courtroom in Charleston, Illinois. We stood as the judge entered the room. Our hearts filled with joy, our dream was coming true, little Serenity would be adopted into the family! How can tears be so happy?
My children watched in wonder as they absorbed all the details as the attorney gave the judge details on the case. Jason was summoned up and asked lots of questions to which he answered, when it was Gracie’s turn she was asked if she agrees with everything her husband said, and finally asked the question, “Do you love this child?”
Precious. Indeed! Why else would a mother care for her little one day and night and sacrifice anything for them?
The judge pronounced the petition to be granted. How can something such as an adoption only take seconds, after waiting on it for years? We all gathered and sang one of our old time favorites, “Nothing is too Difficult for Thee.”
Afterwards we all headed for Dairy Queen. We had an entire wing of the restaurant to ourselves where we talked and ate and marveled together.
The hour and twenty minute drive seemed longer than usual as we waited for the adoption party which had been planned and ready — all but those last minute touches of blowing up balloons, making punch, and the likes.
That night was deeply special to us as we reminisced over the day of our adoption of the two gifts God had given to our family. Now another little soul was being saved. That evening passed swiftly as we enjoyed the meal Mary Grace had planned months before — potato wedges, grilled chicken, salad, layer cakes, and ice cream cups.
After the meal was a time of singing and sharing memories and inspirations. I reflected over that night a tad over two years ago. Yes, Jason was right, God proved He can do anything to accomplish his will and plan; He even dropped off a baby, perfectly suited to start out their family.
Herbed Potato Wedges
4 medium potatoes
1⁄2 cup butter, melted
1 tsp. parsley flakes
1⁄2 tsp. salt
1⁄2 tsp. thyme
1⁄2 tsp. garlic powder
1⁄2 tsp. seasoning salt
1⁄4 tsp. black pepper
1⁄2 cup Parmesan cheese
5 slices bacon, fried and crumbled
Peel or scrub potatoes and cut into eighths length wise. Place them in a 9 by 13 inch baking dish. Pour mixture of melted butter and seasonings over the potatoes and stir until evenly covered, spreading into a single layer. Sprinkle cheese and bacon over the potatoes. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and stir until all wedges are well coated with butter again. Return to oven and bake another 30 minutes or until tender.
Gloria Yoder is an Amish house-wife in rural Illinois. She is the third writer of The Amish Cook column since its inception in 1991. Yoder can be reached by writing: The Amish Cook, P.O. Box 157, Middletown, Ohio 45042.
