Read the heartfelt story of a couple who took the hardest trial of their lives and allowed God to work a greater miracle through it.
by Ruth Meyer
This past December, we adopted our second set of sibling groups from foster care. In October of 2014, my dream came true to have brown eyed children when we adopted our first set of siblings, two Hispanic children. We also were blessed with two healthy biological little miracles, one in October of 1997 and another in July of 2000. As of December 19, 2018 we have 7 Children! But that is not the beginning of our parenting journey, which is what I’d like to share with you today.
Where It Started
We were married in 1992, and in 1995 we started trying to grow our family. Our first pregnancy was going to be announced to family and friends on Thanksgiving. But at 12 weeks (the weekend before Thanksgiving) the pregnancy ended with heartbreak. The secret we had been keeping was gone, and we were heart broken. We rang in the New Year with high hopes that 1996 would be the year that we would conceive and have our first born. And we did! But on his day of arrival at 39 weeks, he was born 5 lbs. 4 oz and was a stillborn baby.
Grief and Questions
Grief replaced hope and happiness. We questioned everything—our faith was shaking. Was God punishing us? What had we done? Didn’t God hear our prayers? Do the prayers of a righteous man avail much like the Bible tells us? Didn’t we have faith even as a muster seed? Trust in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart, right? Doesn’t God so love the world? This didn’t feel like love. He is in control, right? Yet He allowed this to happen to his children—this pain, this heart ache? The grief seemed unbearable and hit like a wave out of nowhere, and it still does often even after 23 years.
We had two choices: 1) trust God that He is good, that He is in control, that He knows best, that all things work out for the good of those who trust in Him, He is faithful, and that He is a loving God. Or 2) blame Him, curse Him, run from Him, waller in our grief, and die of a broken heart.
Because of That Little Boy
Because of that little boy, who never took a breath, God placed adoption in our hearts. Even though God allowed us to conceive again and have two miracles, adoption was planted in our hearts because of that trial in our lives.
Because of that little boy, we became foster parents. We fostered for 8 years. We had a total of 9 foster children live with us.
Because of that little boy, we adopted five of the 9 children that we fostered. We get to be forever parents to 5 children who desperately needed a family, a home, the nurture and love of parents, the saving knowledge of Jesus.
Because of that little boy, 2 out of the 9 have already given their hearts and lives to Jesus.
Because of that little boy we are passionate about foster care and have started a clothing closet for kids in foster care. This year is our 7th year of managing the nonprofit “The Shepherd’s Closet.” We have been asked to speak and share our story about foster care multiple times and at multiple venues. We speak in an expert panel on foster care in order to train new foster parents.
Because of that little boy we understand grief and loss. God has used our story about our son to allow us to comfort and pray for so many families over the years. Being told we would never have children and now having 7 has brought so much hope to so many others desiring to be parents. God has called me to be the prayer warrior for a list of couples who are having infertility issues, and I have been there to comfort them with my prayers and support.
Because of that little boy I mentor other foster parents along the very bumpy rollercoaster ride called foster care.
Because of that little boy we learned that God is in control, that we can trust Him, and that He does work everything out for the good of those who trust Him. We have learned that He is faithful, that He is a good, good father, that He is our hope, that He is our comforter, that He is our provider. Because of that little boy the heart-broken couple now has a house full of kids and a ministry that allows the light of Jesus to be shined.
All of these blessings have come because of Korey Jason Meyer, who came and went and waits for us. We are one day closer to hugging him and telling him how proud we are of the work he did with his short life on this earth to shine the light of Jesus.
Ruth and her husband live in Tennessee. They have fostered 9 children and have adopted 5. This godly couple has a true heart to help others and have been such an encouragement to other foster parents in their area. This is the first time Ruth has shared the story of their motivation for adoption.
Junell DuBois