Cindy and Michael's Story

Life certainly threw us for a curve when my
husband Michael and I were taken through the deeply painful experience of
infertility. After the birth of our daughter, we struggled to add to the family
for several years. We prayed and waited, our hearts slowly breaking as we
watched the plans we had for our family slowly fade away. Walking through the
halls at church, there seemed to be hundreds of beautiful pregnant women,
mothers with newborns, and happy families coming to worship. I really struggled
with jealousy and doubt during that time. As I poured out my heart to God daily,
He started to whisper in my ear about adoption. Adoption was never in our plans,
but suddenly I was seeing it everywhere. As I started to let go of the dreams I
had for our family, God started to weave together a new dream.

At the same time, a friend approached me about helping start an orphan ministry at Crossings. I was more than happy to help. Of course, the Lord knew where He was leading us, but I was still a little clueless. Through meeting other adoptive families and seeing their hearts for the fatherless, the Lord awakened my heart and showed us with absolute clarity that adoption was going to be our path.
 
We submitted our paperwork to our adoption agency in 2009 and in 2010, we got
a phone call from a young girl asking us to be the parents of her unborn son.
The joy in that moment was more than I could handle! We got to be there for his
birth, bring him home from the hospital, and call him our son. And better yet,
we get to have a relationship with his birthmother and share the love of Christ
with her. In early January of this year, we submitted our paperwork again to the
adoption agency. 18 days later, we got a phone call about a baby who had just
been born. We were at the hospital two hours later, and we brought our second
son home the next day on January 30th. The most amazing surprise ever!

Because God took us down this path, Michael and I are passionate
about helping children find families. Michael serves with Citizens Caring for
Children, an organization who helps Oklahoma foster children. I have the
privilege of helping support families in many different aspects of adoption. I
work with an adoption fund who assists Oklahoma City families with adoption
costs. I also get to serve families at Crossings and beyond who are adopting or
fostering. Seeing this kind of love unfold day after day is such a blessing! Our
ministry here at Crossings, called “Chosen,” is full of miracle stories. As more
and more families are called by God to answer the call to adopt, we are there to
support them each step of the way.

 The adoption experience changed nearly everything in our lives. Through the
pain and refining process, we have a richer relationship with the Lord, a more
meaningful marriage, and a deeper gratitude for our children. We get to
experience God’s love in new ways. Ephesians 1:5 says that “He destined us for
adoption as His children through Jesus Christ.” And today as we experience the
unbelievable love we have for our children, we understand more and more the
all-consuming love God has for us. He doesn’t care what we look like or where we
came from, He just loves us. And like a parent, He says He will never leave us
or forsake us. We are special. We are chosen and adopted by the Most High. And
He has greater plans for us than we could ever imagine.

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