A Christmas Miracle!

Two years ago we decorated this Christmas ornament in honor of the "adopted child-to-be" that we would one day meet. We hung it as a FAITH ornament – in full assurance that our prayer request would be answered in time. And here, this December, we hang the ornament with JOY and GLADNESS as a testimony of the Lord’s faithfulness and compassion. Our prayers for a healthy baby girl to join our family have been answered! What a trustworthy God we have who knows the deepest desires of our hearts.

We have just chosen the name Brookley Patience Gillette for our baby girl. Isaiah chapter 35 illustrates a beautiful picture of streams (or gentle brooks) of living water flowing through the desert wasteland. This passage speaks volumes to us as we have needed the Lord to redeem our JOY and bring REFRESHMENT after enduring years of parched land. Only a faithful Father could restore to us what was lost and redeem what was dry.

“The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice in blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for JOY! … Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs.”

And how could we overlook the name "Patience" her birth parents first gave her? It fits our story so well. For seven years we have longed to hold a healthy child in our arms, and now in His perfect time, this request has been fulfilled. Thank you, Abba Daddy! Many of us know all too well that patience is a virtue that involves long-suffering and steadfast endurance. In a culture built on instant gratification, patience stands out as a rare but honorable virtue rooted firmly on both faith and hope. Patience involves perseverance in the face of delay and difficult waiting without despairing. How encouraging that our daughter’s birth parents both selected this virtous name as part of her story.

The apostle Paul says it best in the book of Romans chapter 8 verses 22-24:

“22For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.”

We are all waiting, longing and groaning for the brokenness and disappointments before us to be set right. Ultimately, we are seeking a Rescuer to redeem the fallen state that overhadows us ... to deliver us from the darkness and bring us into glorious light! I love that Paul paints a picture of adoption for us - grafting us into the family of Christ. We long to be reunited with Christ and sit at the table with him as the sons and daughters we were created to be, but we must wait for heaven and all it's wholeness. We must finish the broken, twisted race before us and share the hope we carry a bit longer. We must demonstrate long-suffing and patience.

Baby Brookley Patience entered the world near 8am Friday, December 2nd at St. Mary’s hospital in Richmond, VA. That day Trace and I were focused at school and Marcus was supervising a construction project. She was born premature (4 weeks early and only 6 lbs.), but proved to be a healthy, vibrant, and beautiful newborn. Her kind and courageous birth parents named her Patience Hollie but gave us the honor of changing it if we so desired. We are incredibily grateful to these precious people who chose LIFE first, and then chose us next.

Our local adoption agency, Jewish Family Services of Richmond, took the lead with her case and reached out to us that first Friday in December. (Now this was the same agency that said, “We are small and rarely place babies, so prepare to go elsewhere after we certify you. Plan to find a mother and baby word of mouth or at a much larger agency.") It was by God's prompting that I saw the voicemail and actually listened to it it time, before our social workers reached out to other families. (I'm known for missing messages and returning phone calls days or weeks later.) After a series of calls and some anxious waiting time that December weekend, the birth parents saw our profile book and chose us to adopt their daughter. Yes, we got the call and were handpicked to raise their precious girl! We were invited to come to the hospital and meet Patience the following day (Sunday, December 4th). That same afternoon we were invited to take her home with us. So for the past 3 weeks we have been fostering this newborn and in the process of grafting her into our family!

The first big hurdle we cautiously had to cross was the ten day revocation period Virginia requires. By law, birth parents have these set days to change their minds about terminating rights. On December 11th at mid-night we paused to celebrate the end of this revocation period – a major milestone toward the adoption placement sealing!

Last week the agency made a home visit to observe our home and parenting style. Brookley, Trace and Ollie (the cat) were on their best behavior and we passed with flying colors! Today, December 22,2022, we officially signed the adoption placement paperwork. Praise God for this next milestone accomplishment. We call this special signing date “Gotcha Day” because she is another step closer to being all ours! Next, we wait on legal paperwork to come together from our attorney and a February court date to be set where a judge signs the final order. Brookley’s adoption finalization is expected to formally conclude this summer after the post-placement supervision period, so yes, there are more meetings, observations and steps to accomplish. But God is so clearly at the helm steering this ship forward. The shock, excitement, and emotion is surreal. Our FAITH is being stretched like never before. I knew I had a faithful Father who cared about my tender heart, but WOW … to see Him orchestrate all the details of this match down to her name “Patience” just blows my mind!

The Lord is faithful and he restores GLADNESS and JOY to the brokenhearted. Clearly the Lord remembers those weary and heavy laden with sorrow. In His time, he DELIGHTS in restoring and redeeming that which was lost.

Psalm 31:19 “How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you.”

To sum it up, Trace is ecstatic about being a big brother, Marcus is floored with God's timing, Jen is dancing in gladness, and our cat "Ollie" is quite confused. He is curious about her smell and squeals. But The Lord is NEAR and this is clearly a Christmas miracle to remember. Brookley Patience can't wait to meet each of you soon!

Thank you for partnering with us to finalize this adoption and witness the miracle!

With incredible joy,

The Gillette Family of Four

Luke 1:46-48 And Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant …”

*Want to help us complete this adoption? Please consider partnering with us at www.adopttogether.org to help meet our fundraising goal. We can't do this without your support! (Search Gillette family)

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