Overnight parents

Our Revealing the Story team first met Ashley when one of us spoke at a women’s retreat.  Ashley shone with joy and humor and artistic talent.  She especially amazed us on the day women stood to share their “God-stories.” Ashley opened up about one of the hardest things for women to talk about – the hopelessness of infertility. Weeks later, we received an email with news of this MIRACLE!!!  You’ve got to hear her story.

I have had my hands full with my new life as a first time mom. I wanted to tell our whole whirlwind of a story about how we become parents overnight…literally!  Here we go!

My husband Matt and I have been married almost 12 years. We’ve struggled with infertility for many of those years. We met with doctors and had consultations but never felt God’s desire for us to pursue the expensive route of fertility options.  Back in November I started talking to Matt seriously about adoption. We had always talked about adoption even before we were married but this time I felt we were really ready. Matt’s initial reaction was one that had always in the back of his mind, but he never had shared with me before. He told me how expensive adoption would be and that we did not have the finances that were required. We talked about it and he said we would need to start saving for the adoption and pay off our debt. After we had some significant savings set aside we could evaluate starting the adoption process.

There was something about his answer that didn’t sit right with me. I didn’t believe God wanted us to wait any longer to become parents. A week or so later I came to Matt with an idea of starting a business where we could could sell handmade crafts and inspirational items in an online store. The ideas was that this business could help us pay down our debt and then jump start our saving for the adoption cost.

Before we officially launched the new business we asked friends of ours out to lunch. We wanted to get their opinion on the business idea. They agreed to meet later the following week for lunch but also mentioned that they knew we were going to ask them to lunch.  At lunch the next week we explained our situation. We had never discussed our infertility struggle or desire to adopt with them in the past. We also went over the business idea we came up with to accelerate our savings plan for the adoption. They had some great input and a couple tips we hadn’t thought of.

After lunch they told us why they had known we were going to ask them to lunch.  They shared that adoption had always been on their heart. They imagined they might adopt after they had a couple children of their own but still hadn’t felt the call to adoption. Next they shared with us that when they met us years earlier they knew very quickly that God was going to use them to help with our adoption. They shared they had been waiting for the right time to share this with us and now years later when we had invited them to lunch and shared our desires and plan they knew the time was now.

That is when they told us that God had already provided 100% of all the adoption costs for us.

We were speechless and in complete shock. This was the truest example of living like no one else so later you can give like no one else!  This would be an amazing story of God’s miraculous provision and timing even if the story ended here but it doesn’t!!!

Shortly after this lunch meeting our pastor asked us to share this story on a Sunday morning. We agreed to share what God had done in belief that hearing about this could increase hope and faith for others.

On Friday two days before we were scheduled to share at church our pastor received a Facebook message. It went something like this. “Pastor my 17 year old sister is pregnant and believes she is too young to be a mother and would like to choose adoption for her child. Do you know anyone in your church that is looking to adopt?” Our pastor was shocked at the timing. He quickly replied and said “not only do I know a couple ready to adopt but they are sharing this Sunday at church, come and I will introduce you all.” We shared our story that Sunday. After service we met the young man who sent the Facebook message and scheduled a lunch meeting for the next day.

Later that same evening (about 12:30am) Matt received a phone call. Long story short we were invited to the hospital to meet the family that evening. The lunch date for the next day couldn’t wait as the 17 year old birth mom had gone into labor Sunday evening and was already at the hospital. I was asleep Matt woke me up and we rushed out of the house to the hospital. We met with the family then we were introduced to the birth mother. A couple hours later when the Doctor was alone with the birth mother she was asked if she wanted anyone to cut the umbilical cord. Without hesitation she said she wanted Matt to do it. At 6:23 that morning Matt cut the umbilical cord of our first born daughter, Lily Rose. We were even able to fill out the birth certificate and when we left the hospital two days later we left as a family of 3!

Our first picture of our family of 3!

When we got home from the hospital we had our own personal baby store. Our family and friends were amazing they went out and got us everything we needed for Lily.

Lily is now 4 months old and it really is true what every one says, time flies by. She has changed our life in the best way possible. She has such a sweet spirit, always happy and smiling all the time.

Thanks for spending some time reading our amazing God story. It seems like that is the best way to describe it –  our “God story”

xo xo

Ash, Matt & Lily

P.S. Ashley and Matt’s business, “Anchored Living” is up and running generating funds for adoptions.  Check them out!  https://squareup.com/market/anchored-living