God-Sightings: Our African Son

In my "God-Sightings" journal I record the ways in which I see God actively at work in my life and circumstances. This is one of those stories.

On a dresser in our bedroom stand two long-necked giraffes crafted in African-themed resin. Each time my eyes fall on them I am reminded of another God-story in our lives.

Years ago we "matched" with an expectant mom who wished to place her unborn son for adoption. For three months we waited and dreamed and prepared for a little boy's arrival. One of the few details we knew was that the baby's father was a foreign exchange student from an African nation, and we were excited that our son would have this special heritage.

It was during this time of waiting that I purchased the African giraffes, imagining them as a decoration in our baby's room. When our match fell through and the expectant mom chose to parent, I felt a sense of loss not only for the new child we'd hoped to love but also specifically for the African dream we'd lost.

Yet God is the Master Weaver and in His beautiful plan we received a call many long months later about an already-born baby boy needing a home and family. Among the details we were given, this one stood out: he was born to a Sudanese birth mother living in the United States.

An African child, just as we'd once hoped. An amazing "coincidence?" - or rather, an amazing GOD.