Our Love Story – Part 3

December 12, 2016

After the wedding, we honeymooned in the Rocky Mountains. We weren’t skiers but liked the idea of a mountain getaway after our winter wedding. We rented a chalet-style room, shopped, almost died on the snowy, windy road near the continental divide, which helped us begin our marriage with a whole lot of prayer.

Mark arranged for an evening sleigh ride to a rustic cabin at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains where we enjoyed an equally rustic meal and songs. Of course there were songs. It was romantic; despite the five layers of clothing we wore


When we returned from our honeymoon, we settled into life as a family. We had always talked about making this official with Mark’s legal adoption of B, but learned this couldn’t be done until several months after our marriage. Now that we were home, we could begin working on the piece of paper that would legally make him her Dad. In January we learned he would become a Dad twice in 2005. We don’t mess around! Er wait, we did mess around? – anyway – we were expecting! And we were so excited! First, God gave us each other and now He was blessing us with a new baby! We flew high that whole year.

With the news that we were expecting, B’s adoption became an even greater priority. We really wanted the adoption to be finalized well before the new baby was here. Part of the adoption process required letters of recommendation from people we knew. We collected several beautiful letters from people who knew both B and Mark and could testify how this adoption request would bless our entire family. I ran across these letters the other day and cried and cried at the love poured into them. They spoke about Mark’s kindness, love, dedication and desire to be a wonderful father. They spoke about B’s love for him and how she deserved to have a Dad, especially one like Mark.

In the late winter/early spring of 2005 we had a court date to make the adoption official. What a special day for us! I think B was nervous. It is hard to go from a family of two without a Dad to suddenly a family of three with a Dad, even if it’s a wonderful blessing and something she’d always dreamed of. But she was happy about it also. Her life was about to change again in another, powerful and magnificent way.

Mark took his role as her Dad so seriously. He read books on how to be the best Dad he could be. He carved out time for her weekly, so he could build a relationship with her and make her feel special. He relished embarrassing her with his Crocs and puns, as Dads love to do. He was absolutely, 100%, the Dad B was meant to have – the Dad God planned for her. This is yet another way God took a broken story and made it whole for His glory. He’s awesome that way.

If your road is broken and you can’t imagine how things will work out, I’ve been there and I understand! I’m there again now, actually. But He’s taught me to trust him, and so I will.

I want to reassure you that God has not forgotten us. He has a plan and it’s a good one. Trust Him when you’re broken and when you’re lost and He’ll get you through. He promises He will not leave you and He won’t forsake you. What a reassuring promise from an awesome, trustworthy God.

If you’d like to read more about the kind of Dad Mark was, you can read it HERE.

Thanks for following along as I shared our love story. Back to normal posts now – college graduation and Christmas may kill me – stay tuned for what I have to say about that.

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Extra grace,

Jodi

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