We used to tease my sister, Alisa, and her husband, Peter, that they were going to end up like the Duggers. They wanted lots of kids. And when they got pregnant and had their daughter Haddie in 2008, we had no doubt that their house would soon be bursting with babies.
But it didn’t happen. God said wait.
Months and months passed, months of raised hopes followed by negative pregnancy tests, tears and failed expectations. Alisa grew numb. She tried to ignore her cycles, pretend that it wasn’t time to take another test, pretend that her hopes hadn’t been crushed again.
But God said wait.
Peter and Alisa decided to adopt. They busied themselves in a flurry of paperwork, taking classes, attending trainings, dreaming of a baby before Christmas.
But God said wait.
My sister-in-law got pregnant, Alisa’s best friend got pregnant, I got pregnant, Alisa’s dear friend adopted a son, I got pregnant again, my sister-in-law got pregnant again, Alisa’s best friend god pregnant again.
But God said wait.
So Alisa put on a happy face, smiling through her tears as she attended baby showers, sip-and-sees, hospital visits and MOPS meetings. She cradled her new nieces and nephews, brought meals to her friends when they had babies, babysat as other moms went to prenatal appointments.
And God still said wait.
Then the news came: Peter and Alisa had been chosen to adopt a baby girl. They prepped their nursery, filling it with ribbons and bows and tiny pink socks. They visited the birth mom. They raised money for the adoption expenses and anxiously awaited the day that their new baby girl arrived.
But God said wait.
Sweet little Abby was born on July 7, 2011. As they raced up to the hospital, anxious to hold their new baby girl for the first time, they prayed jubilantly that their wait was finally over, that they finally had a baby to fill their empty arms.
But, God once again said wait.
Less than two days after Abby was born, her birth mom changed her mind. She decided to parent Abby. And Alisa and Peter left the hospital with bags full of brand-new baby clothes that would never be worn, with hearts heavy and hope lost.
And still, God said wait.
They went home, they shut the door to their nursery and tried to move on. They continued to pursue adoption, but also decided to pursue pregnancy once again. There were tests and needles and exorbitant hospital bills. There was a shocking infertility diagnoses that meant their first daughter was a miracle. There was a painful surgery and weeks of waiting as hopes rose, only to be dashed again.
Because God still told them to wait.
And then, just when all hope seemed lost. Just when we were starting to question whether God really had a plan for more children for them, whether he had been there speaking to them all along, God spoke through a whisper.
Now. Now is the moment that you have been waiting for.
The phone call came at 9 a.m. on a Monday morning. A tiny baby boy needed a family, a home. He had been born with gastroschisis—his intestines had developed outside of his body. He was facing major surgery and weeks of recovery. A tiny soul who in just a few short hours of life had known pain, loneliness and fear, a child of God who was lying in the NICU by himself with a sign on his crib that said “Baby Boy.” No name. No family. No one.
But God had chosen this moment to show the depth of his love. Because while Peter and Alisa had waited and waited for a baby, God had been waiting for this baby. This child. This wonderful blessing. And now the long and lonely wait was over. Peter and Alisa have a son. And baby Asa has been chosen.
Get updates on Baby Asa on his Caringbridge website here.
