October is Double Impact Month at Antioch Adoptions – give now to help families adopt children right here in our own backyard!
This week marks 3 months since an event caused us to lose our home. It also marks just over 3 months since Addison was permanently placed in our home from Foster Care. As I was getting Addison ready this morning and reminding her to brush her teeth, wash the drool off of her face, eat her breakfast, put on her coat, and stop dancing around her sisters, I was reminded of how blessed we are to have this firecracker of a girl in our lives!
Addison has been in 6 homes, had severe trauma and neglect, and has been abused by foster parents. God saw fit to place her with us. And then He saw fit to remove everything we had, the little bit she brought with her, and to strip our family down to nothing but each other.
Perhaps He knew that Andrew and I would be too comfortable in our normal surroundings and we would miss opportunities to love Addison, and to allow her to love us. Perhaps He knew that my anxiety would be a hindrance…so putting me face to face with a severe trauma would directly point my eyes on Him and help me make a choice to actually trust Him in every area of my life rather than just say that I do.
Perhaps God knew that Hannah and Taylor would not be so fond of sharing and dealing with Addison wanting to touch all of their “special” things, so he took those away to allow them to see that their relationship with Addison is so much more important.
Perhaps God knew what He was doing.
We have learned so much from this precious girl over the past few months. She has shown me what bravery is…she has taught me to not take myself so seriously (did I tell you she dances all the time…everywhere!). She has taught us that “trauma” does not mean “unfixable.” She has reminded us that God saves and delivers and heals. Many a night I find myself next to Addison, my hands on her head, just praying for healing in her body, her heart and her mind. I know that God makes beautiful things…and I trust that God will be faithful to create in her a renewed heart and mind.
The nights that Addison has kicked us, beaten up the girls, cursed us out, spit on Andrew, drawn on the furniture, screamed that she hates us….Those nights are the nights where God steps in and does work. In those moments Addison is able to grieve and be angry and express emotions that perhaps she didn’t feel safe to show. At times we respond right…and many a time we don’t. I see her potential and I want to just make her understand that this is stupid to act this way…and just “BE DONE WITH IT!” Thank God Andrew is my co-captain and we keep each other grounded…and thank God for forgiveness as we have already had to tell Addison more than once that we were sorry for being upset or responding incorrectly.
This girl is smart…caring…hilarious…and in her quiet moments of stroking my hair before she falls asleep, she shows her gentle spirit. We cannot express how much we love this girl. Who knew our first placement email would be our first adoption! She has made our family complete and Antioch Adoptions made this possible. We thank them for walking with us, praying for us, supporting us, and reminding us that we are not alone.
-Kara, Pre-Adoptive Mom
