For This Child I Have Prayed, and The Lord Has Heard My Prayer

The Story of Samuel

I have been trying to find time to write Samuel’s adoption story for several weeks, but I have a newborn (haha). He is 8 weeks old now and we are just so incredibly blessed. I recently looked through a photo album I am creating of him and several times I said, “That was the best day of my life.” Multiple days have been the best days of my life and I realize that we are living the best days of our lives right now. Really, we are living days that I dreamed of and prayed for. I pray that this blog entry really gives glory to God and paints an accurate picture of the journey, as well.

If you have been following our journey, you know that the story of Samuel has been 5 years in the making. He was totally unexpected and a much needed blessing. Words cannot adequately express our gratitude in this season.

We are foster- to- adopt licensed. We had reopened our home in January to foster after grieving for about 3 months due to our foster babies going back home. We felt ready to receive more children but due to new fostering legislation that rolled out in the Fall in Texas, placements had significantly decreased statewide. So, our home had been open and unoccupied since January. We were really struggling with an empty house, no progress on expanding our family, and wondering what was going on. Now, we know what was going on- God was making us available for Samuel!

Usually annually someone will reach out through the grapevine to see if we want to adopt a child of an expectant mother in what would be a private adoption. In all our years of this journey, this has never worked out for us. The expectant moms end up aborting, placing their babies with a family member, or keeping the baby. I will say that hearing of the abortions has been the hardest when we have been so willing to care for a child and give him everything he needs. In those cases, it seems so unnecessary. In January, we received a call about two precious toddlers that was not the right fit for our family. Saying no was hard. In February, we heard of another possible adoption of an unborn child that did not seem to pan out. I was really emotional about the February situation not working out because I felt like it was the right situation. In March, two days before Samuel was born, we heard of another possible newborn adoption. Three possible adoption situations in three months was not the norm for us. Once we received the third call, I told Sean, “I think God is trying to give us a baby.” And He was. When I said that, I assumed that it would be the March adoption situation that worked, but it was actually the February situation!

So, the 2^nd potential adoption situation that we heard of in February was actually about Samuel. This was roughly 3 weeks before he was born. Sean’s mom, Ms. Shayla, was calling expectant mothers to participate in a supportive program in her church. She called Samuel’s bio mom who said she was not in need of the program because she was planning to place him for adoption. Ms. Shayla asked if she had chosen an adoptive family and she had not. She told her of our journey and our desire to adopt and asked if it would be ok if we reached out to her and she said YES. You cannot imagine our excitement when we heard this news. We called her that evening and she asked if she could call us back, but she never did. We sent a follow up text, but no response. A couple of days later, I was sitting in church and I felt like we were not supposed to give up. I called Sean’s mom after church and we decided that she would reach out again since she was the initial point- of- contact. No response. Several days later, I still felt like we were not supposed to give up. I felt like God was putting it on my heart. I reached out via text myself and shared parts of my past that were painful but were common ground for us. No response. At this point, I decided that I shouldn’t keep reaching out because she obviously was not interested. I felt like perhaps I had been led by my emotions to not give up. As you can tell, it really was God who pressed that on my heart!

Fast forward three weeks later and we received a call on a Wednesday about a different adoption situation- a baby who had recently been born. I didn’t feel the same peace about the situation as I had about the February one, but I was excited about the possibility. As I said before, I told Sean, “I think God is trying to give us a baby.” Then, on Friday morning, March 11^th, we received a life changing text. Samuel’s bio mom texted us both stating that she had birthed Samuel while in route to the hospital and asked if we still wanted to adopt him to which we replied YES!!! He was born at Hallelujah Junction. I don’t think this was a coincidence, but was truly providential. Samuel is God’s miracle and he is also our hallelujah! He has a destiny. God has a plan for him.

That evening, we talked to his bio mom on the phone for about an hour and had a very emotional conversation. She really did want us to adopt him! It was a surreal moment in a now long line of surreal moments. At the end of our conversation, she asked, “Do you want to come meet your son?” to which we replied, “So, you may not know this but we live in Texas. Is that ok with you?” We were worried about her response, but she was totally fine with it.

We booked flights that night for the next evening. It was the only flight left and was comprised of 3 planes to get there and would arrive in Reno around midnight. Also, we quickly got a CA adoption lawyer. That evening, we received a call from a hospital social worker baring some difficult news. It was a miracle that we already had a lawyer when we received this call because it saved Samuel in a sense. I won’t go into all of the details for everyone’s privacy, but just know that God did a miracle in this part of the story. Our lawyers were on the phone on a Friday night with this social worker working hard to advocate for us and Samuel. I just find that to be truly outstanding that it was a Friday night, we had just signed with them, and they were willing to go to bat for us and him by sacrificing part of their night off. By the next day, the issues were resolved and God had secured his future.

We spent that evening until midnight gathering paperwork for our lawyers and agency. We reached out to our home study agent around 7:00 pm because we needed an updated home study before we left TX (a tall order), and she was willing to do it the next morning- another miracle! Also, we were able to use clearances from our state home study- another miracle! We had to update our home study the next morning, pack suitcases for ourselves and Samuel, and I knew mine and Samuel’s suitcases needed to be enough for 2-3 weeks. We arranged for Sean’s little brother to house/ dog sit. It was really like hitting the ground running!

I had grown weary of everyone saying our family would grow in God’s timing, but that is exactly what happened. The timing was absolutely perfect! We had felt God call us to adopt three years prior and we had pursued it faithfully. During the last several months, I had been substituting, which has been a redemptive experience for me. So, when we got the call, I didn’t have to ask off of work. Also, I get to stay home with Samuel for several months, which wouldn’t be possible if I had been working full time. Also, we received the call on the last day of school before Spring Break so Sean did not have to request off of work and he was able to stay in California with us for a week. He has a new job so had the timing not been perfect, it would not have worked out for him to go. It was incredibly perfect timing! Also, Samuel was born on my brother’s birthday, March 11^th.

By early Saturday evening, we were up in the air and on our way to Reno, NV. We arrived in Reno around midnight. Samuel’s bio mom said we could come down to meet him so we did. We met our son that Saturday evening! Words cannot express our joy. He was so tiny and beautiful! We loved him instantly.

The next morning, we bought an infant stroller/ car seat combo that was 50 percent off- another miracle! We felt so blessed by this because it’s an awesome Graco set that is really easy to use. We were blown away by the discount. We brought breakfast, coffee, and a peace lily to the hospital for his bio mom. We spent 3 hours with her and it was everything I hoped it would be. I felt like we all bonded. Sean and I each had moments with her individually and collectively. We learned about her life and she learned about ours. I was able to ask questions that Samuel may want to know later on. I felt a special peace and it seemed like a special time. The hospital was going to let us take Samuel into another room and stay overnight with him. They came to let us know that it was ready. We gave her time and space to say goodbye to Samuel while we ran an errand for her. When we got back, we gave her more time and then the nurses brought him over when she was ready. We really tried to be respectful of the gravity of what was occurring and I just feel like the whole experience was what everyone needed- that everyone’s needs were met. This felt like another miracle! We had prayed for this to go well and it had. Also, she let us name him and choose if he would be vaccinated and circumcised. Another blessing!

We were not expecting that the hospital would want us to stay the night with Samuel. It was so nice! It was just another special touch for us- a surreal moment. We were in the hospital just as if we had just birthed a baby, getting to experience the nurses checking on us and showing us how to do things. The hospital staff were so kind and helpful. One funny story is that Sean was changing Samuel’s diaper in the “crib” and I was sitting on the bed. Samuel peed all the way across the room and it hit me the face haha! (First of many LOL). We were both shocked and it was hilarious! The nurse had a good laugh, as well. She said little boys pee on her at least twice a night haha.  She was a funny Slavic nurse who we really grew to like. She was also militant and would let us know how she thought we should do things haha.

The social worker who had called us on Friday night was really thankful for us and the adoption plan. She was grateful that Samuel was going to a good home. They initially said that Samuel would have to stay in the hospital longer for observation, but they ended up releasing him earlier than expected. This was a BIG miracle!! Samuel is completely healthy. Let’s all shout out that GOD IS GOOD!

We were elated to hear the news that Samuel could be discharged! So, on Monday, March 14^th, we put him in the stroller and rolled out of our room. The staff were so excited for us! They took a family picture of us in front of a backdrop on our way out. We got to the first floor and Sean went to get the car as it was frigid outside. There had been a sleet storm the night we arrived. While I was waiting for him to drive up, I just could not believe this was really happening! Like we are really going home from a hospital with OUR baby, OUR SON!!! Ah, just such a surreal moment- such a miracle! It was a real hospital experience. I mean, it was just everything I had dreamed of. God has been so good to me, so good to us.

We were able to take him home to Sean’s mom’s house in California while we waited out ICPC. It’s where the two states talk and ensure we meet their criteria in order to leave the state with Samuel. Thankfully, Ms. Shayla allowed us to stay at her home all 2.5 weeks that Samuel and I were in California. She has really gone above and beyond for us in this adoption process! She and Frank have been a huge blessing. Also, they were able to spend a lot of time with Samuel and bond with him, which wouldn’t have been as possible if it weren’t a TX/CA adoption. Another God wink! Also, Samuel met Sean’s dad and other folks that will be special to him.

We were staying in California, but about 4 hours from where Sean and I lived when we lived in CA. My CA best friends who I have not seen in over 2 years due to the pandemic drove 8+ hours round trip to meet Samuel! I cannot tell you how good this was for my soul. Some of my closest friends meeting my son was just a blessing. We had the best day! They gave me all the mommy advice and confidence. If this had not been a TX/ CA adoption, it would probably be a while before they would have met Samuel so I felt this was another God wink.

On our last Sunday in California, Samuel went to church for the first time at Nana’s church. She was asked to fill in for someone in Sunday School. The topic of the day’s sermon was 1 Samuel 1. That is the book of the Bible that Samuel was named after- where Hannah cries out to the Lord for a child saying she will dedicate him to the Lord and He grants her request. She did not pick out the sermon topic. It was pre-chosen. This was another God wink. Samuel’s name means “God heard”. Every time we say his name, we are saying that God heard our prayers.

Sean and I chose Samuel’s name in August of 2018. We were working with an IVF clinic at the time. I saw this scripture, “For this child, I have prayed and the Lord has heard my prayer.”- 1 Samuel 1:27. I thought Samuel would be a good name and fitting for our journey, since Hannah could not have a child and was crying out to God for one. The next day, Sean and I were driving to our BIL and SIL’s engagement party and I asked him what he thought about the name Samuel. He said that oddly enough he had been thinking about the name Sam the night before and was trying to think of what the boy version of Samantha was- it was Samuel. So, we were thinking about the name Samuel/ Sam at the same time the night before. We came up with his full name on that drive- Samuel James Gill. Samuel for 1 Samuel 1 and James because it is my maiden name and my middle name now. At that point, I started believing for “Samuel”. We didn’t know that this is how he would come into our lives. At the time, we thought it was IVF but the IVF fail was just to turn our hearts toward adoption, which God did in a very clear way. I firmly believe that Samuel was always our baby. God knew he was coming. He was set apart for us and us for him since before he was born.

I will tell you there have been TONS of miracles and there has also been a lot of stress due to the adoption process. I can’t really go into detail on that. There were days in CA where I really had to be intentional about focusing on our blessings because the stress was trying to steal from us. There were days I didn’t do as well at that and others where I did much better. Fear would try to sneak in and tell us that we would lose him somehow, etc. That’s what the enemy does, right? Thankfully, God has showered us with so many miracles along the way to help us stay in faith and keep our minds right.

One of the harder parts of the CA stay was being away from Sean for 1.5 weeks. We were there together as a family for one week and then Sean had to go back home. Thankfully, I had Sean’s family with me. The day we got approved to go home to Texas was a glorious one! We had no idea when that day would come and we could be reunited as a family. We were so excited to be able to take Samuel to our home and get into a groove here. We are so thankful that God got us to that point to go home.

Since being home, our family and friends from all over the U.S. have showered us with gifts for Samuel and meals. It has been SO helpful and needed! Even though it is an adoption, he is still a newborn. So, every bit of support has been so treasured and has been such a relief. We are so thankful!

Preparing for Samuel started over a year ago. We started preparing for fostering. In May and then June, our friends and family threw us foster-to-adopt showers. Crazily enough, that is around the time that Samuel was conceived. Can you believe that as we were preparing to foster and adopt that God was preparing our home for Samuel? That 9 months later there would be a son in our home that is ours? It’s just so surreal. God is so so good. Since we found out that Samuel was born and ours on the day of his birth, we wouldn’t have been able to have a baby shower beforehand and we would have been way less prepared for him. BUT GOD. God knew that the milestone of a shower was so important for me and he ensured that I had two perfect showers. I mean, God is good ya’ll! And since then, He has filled in the gaps of what we needed for him with gifts from our family and friends.

Samuel is SO loved by so many people! He has met so many special people and will meet many more over the next few months. We are overjoyed that we get to share him with family and friends that have been believing with us and supporting us for all of these years. People that have held us and kept us in faith as we have walked this journey. Samuel is an answer to so many people’s prayers! He is cherished in our home and among family and friends.

Samuel has Creole roots in Louisiana and he is also from Sean’s hometown in California. He is connected to us both in different ways. There are so many connections and ways that it seems that we were always supposed to be a family. It is amazing!

Tomorrow will be a full circle day for me. Samuel is getting dedicated to the Lord tomorrow on Mother’s Day. I cannot begin to express how much this means to me. It is a huge deal for me! I had no idea that last Mother’s Day would be my last emptyhanded. Since then, I became a foster mama and still carry those babies in my heart. Now, I am Samuel’s Mama. And I get to dedicate him to the Lord, who has been so good to me, on Mother’s Day. How powerful is that?

I think there are so many parts of Samuel’s adoption story SO FAR that cry out that there is a God, that He cares for us, that He loves us, and that He is in the details. There are SO many “coincidences” that I think there are too many to explain away to say that anything other than this was providential- a true miracle from God above. I know without a shadow of a doubt that God saved Samuel in multiple ways. He was adopted by love. God saved him for a reason. I pray that I will always steward well the incredible gift of his life. What God has done here resonates in me when I read these scriptures:

“I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me up out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what He has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord.” Psalms 40:1-3

Please continue to pray for our adoption journey- that the process will be quick and less stressful and that God will protect Samuel in every way. We truly do need your prayers.