Sandra Heska King

daring to open doors

  • Home
  • About
  • DISCLOSURES
    • Amazon Affiliate
    • Book Reviews
  • Published
  • Contact
  • Blog
    • Commit Poetry
    • Dared

Her Father’s Joy

February 27, 2010 By Sandra Heska King

Surrounded by babies and pregnancies.

But for us, just monthly disappointment.

We signed up to adopt a baby through the state of Georgia–a list years long.

I went back to the doctor. “You’re just waiting to become pregnant,” he said.

Sigh.

Dennis came home one day and said, “They want us to move to Florida. Just for 12-18 months. They want us to rent out the house, not sell it.”

“You’ll be coming back with a baby,” my friend, Judy, predicted.

That move was so hard. I wrote about it in an article published in Evangel several years ago. But I’ll share that another time.

We said our goodbyes, and off we went to the land of beaches and orange blossoms. But still no baby. So we began the process of infertility testing. More on that here. (And a followup here.)

Over. Finished. We’d done all we knew to do. My plumbing was disconnected. We did not feel led to go forth with extraordinary means at that point. Tired. We began to make other plans that did not include children. We gave it all to the Lord.

And then our pastor called with news.

“I went to this meeting. There’s an interdenominational group that’s been counseling young, unmarried, pregnant girls. They feel they need to offer an option. It’s not an official adoption agency so there’s not official paperwork, and the adoptions will take place privately through an attorney.”

Without a lot of hope, we put together a packet that included resumes, biographical and spiritual histories, and a financial report. I still have copies of those on yellow carbon paper!  I also wrote a poem.

CHOSEN FOR LOVE
We’ve 
Love to share
Through joy and care
Bound with ties as yet unseen
We’ll learn together the way to grow
That to the world His ways we’ll show.
          As God is my Parent, you’ll be my child
          We both are adopted in one family
          So I’ll care for you as He cares for me
          That you can be all He wants you to be.
          We’ll bake cookies for Dad, play catch outside
          We’ll listen to music or read a book
          I’ll check your homework, we’ll talk of your day
          At bedtime I’ll tuck you in while we pray.
          We’ll share the wonders of butterfly wings
          We’ll climb a mountain and walk on the shore
          In nature’s classroom with childlike surprise
          We’ll find new things that will open our eyes.
          Love has to be tough if it’s love at all
          And it may hurt when I have to say, “No”
          But I’ll kiss your bruises, always be there
          To comfort and hold you through every tear.
We’ve 
Love to share
Through joy and care
Bound with ties as yet unseen.
He chose you long ago, you see
A special gift wrapped up for me.
Sandy King, May 1984

The group  liked the packet enough to send out a state social worker to interview us and inspect our environment.

And we waited. Without much hope.

The 12-18 months stretched into 4 years! There were a couple false alarms about moving back to Georgia, but they fell through.

And then.  

THE CALL!

A baby girl. A newborn. Come and get her! My heart still pounds when I think about it.

Two days after her birth, I cradled and cried over this special gift. A gift given by Him 25 years ago today.

Planned before time began.

Almost immediately and before the adoption was finalized, the company transferred us back to Georgia.

Judy was right. We came back with a baby.

Abigail Elizabeth. 
Her father’s joy. Consecrated to God.
Abby.
My gift.
My daughter.
My best girlfriend.
I love you.
Happy 25th Birthday!
    Welcome home, Abby!

So blessed!
Cake awaits. First toys. And snacks for the cats.
New daddy heading off to work in a pink shirt with a basket of pink bubblegum!
  
With Pastor Jack at 1-1/2 weeks.

Just look at her now!

 Copyright © 2010 by Sandra Heska King

Share this:

  • Email
  • Print
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest

Filed Under: poetry, stories and reflections

Comments

  1. Melinda Lancaster says

    February 27, 2010 at 1:45 pm

    She's beautiful & so is this story.Dreams do come true!

  2. SharonB says

    February 27, 2010 at 3:50 pm

    My heart is overwhelmed with so many emotions, for so many reasons. She is a beautiful gift from God.

  3. Sandra Heska King says

    February 27, 2010 at 4:14 pm

    @Melinda: In His time!

    @Sharon: I'm overwhelmed when I see His hand, too. At work through it all.

  4. ~~Melinda Y.~~ says

    February 27, 2010 at 9:36 pm

    This was beautiful in every way… "Planned before time began."
    God's timing is ALWAYS perfect. The pictures are precious. Thank You for sharing and celebrating the spirit of adoption:)

  5. Susan J. Reinhardt says

    February 27, 2010 at 9:44 pm

    I'm so glad I popped over here to read the full article. Your daughter is beautiful. 🙂

    Blessings,
    Susan

  6. Angie says

    February 27, 2010 at 10:52 pm

    AWESOME story Aunt Sandy!! =) Happy Birthday Blessings to Abby!!

    Love you!

    Angie

  7. Sandra Heska King says

    February 28, 2010 at 8:51 am

    Melinda, Susan, Angie: His timing is perfect, and His ways are higher. He works things out His way in spite of us. Thanks for celebrating with me.

  8. Glynn says

    February 28, 2010 at 9:20 am

    You've drawn a beautiful picture of what God does for us, too.

  9. Sandra Heska King says

    February 28, 2010 at 11:45 pm

    Thanks, Glynn!

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Meet Sandra

I’m Sandra, a camera-toting, recovering doer who’s learning to be. still. Read more…

Get updates from the stillness by email

Your personal information is safe and will never be shared.

Archives

Categories

Instagram Inspiration

sandraheskaking

For most of us, knowledge of our world comes large For most of us, knowledge of our world comes largely through sight, yet we look about with such unseeing eyes that we are partially blind. One way to open your eyes to unnoticed beauty is to ask yourself, "What if I had never seen this before? What if I knew I would never see it again?" ~ Rachel Carson in The Sense of Wonder
#prayformsu #spartanstrong #spartannurse #michigan #prayformsu #spartanstrong #spartannurse #michiganstateuniversity
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faith Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. ~ Psalm 136:1
A tale of two iguanas... I did not see the iguana A tale of two iguanas... I did not see the iguana in the background until I downloaded the photos. That, I believe, is the one that got caught in one of the openings in the neighbor's chain link fence. We tried in several (safe) ways to dislodge it without luck and could think of no other option but to leave it. Somehow it apparently dislodged itself. We also believe this is the pair that was getting into another neighbor's garden. We haven't seen either one since the last cold snap, so we are wondering if they survived. 
🌱
Thinking some may have tumbled from their perches last night. Pretty sure it will be raining iguanas tonight since we are under a frost advisory. It's cold. And windy.
Just sing... sing a song... Singing our way into Just sing... sing a song... 

Singing our way into the weekend.
"We don't just see. We learn to see." ~ Russ Ramse "We don't just see. We learn to see." ~ Russ Ramsey in Rembrandt is in the Wind
Now you see me... now you don't. Now you see me... now you don't.
"I started looking and listening. I realized that "I started looking and listening. I realized that work, like life, is shot through with poetry. It was everywhere. I was so taken with what I discovered that I wrote a book about it." @gyoung9751 
🌱
Whether you work in an office, a retail store, a restaurant, or at home... Whether you work on roads or on power lines, or on high buildings...Whether you collect trash or preach sermons, or care for your kiddos. Whether you do art, or weave words, or take photos of a common gallinule AKA moorhen AKA swamp chicken--it's all shot through with poetry.
🌱
So pay attention. Find a poem.
🌱
Read more at https://www.tweetspeakpoetry.com/2023/01/10/its-poetry-at-work-day-2023/
Rising… Rising…
Everyone needs a little balance in life. And maybe Everyone needs a little balance in life. And maybe a beauty routine. And breakfast. Especially breakfast. I wonder if it consists of a few fire ants. I hope so. (Well, not mine. I'm having oatmeal with chia seeds. What are you having this morning?)
🌱
P.S. Happy Friday!
"Though your destination is not yet clear You can "Though your destination is not yet clear You can trust the promise of this opening; Unfurl yourself into the grace of beginning That is at one with your life's desire." ~John O'Donohue 
🌿
A blessing for a new beginning in a new year. I'm sure he wrote it especially for me. At least I'm claiming it. Maybe it will speak to you, too.
🌿
Also, I'd really like this skirt --> 
🌿
Read the whole poem--> -->
🌿
Well, bummer... The whole page didn't print. Read it in the comments below.
"What precocity, a bird half the size Of an Anjou "What precocity, a bird half the size
Of an Anjou pear." ~ Stephen Kuusisto in "The Mockingbird on Central" (Find it in The Poets Guide to the Birds edited by Judith Kitchen and Ted Kooser)
🌱
"The morning pages are the primary tool of creative recovery." ~ Julia Cameron in The Artist's Way. 
🌱
I've been in a long creative drought, so I started morning pages--again. This time I've got a bit of an accountability group through @refineretreat's Refinery--which I finally also joined this year. I'll turn 74 this month. I'm not ready to grow old while I age--though everything does seem to take longer while time goes by faster.
🌱
#aweandwonder #tsaweandwonder
Tonight’s walk in the neighborhood. I’m still Tonight’s walk in the neighborhood. I’m still kinda amazed that out of all the places we could have ended up after moving from a place I said I’d never move from), here we are—planted right next to the northern Everglades. Six-plus years, and I still shake my head in wonder.
"So fancy is the world..." ~ Mary Oliver in "This "So fancy is the world..." ~ Mary Oliver in "This World." #aweandwonder #tsaweandwonder
Look, Mom! I can walk on water! #aweandwonder #tsa Look, Mom! I can walk on water! #aweandwonder #tsaweandwonder
Gazing into 2023 like… Let’s take it step by Gazing into 2023 like… 
Let’s take it step by step with hope and courage. Also I hope to be posting again more often.
🎉
Happy New Year!
The morning before the last morning of 2022. 🌴 The morning before the last morning of 2022. 
🌴
71 degrees. Heading to 83. I can live with that.
From the top of Brasstown Bald—the highest point From the top of Brasstown Bald—the highest point in Georgia at 4784 feet.
Winding roads… Winding roads…
Tonight's moon. It's kinda okay. Tonight's moon. It's kinda okay.
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Get the Mug

Embrace the life you have t s poetry mug

Privacy Policy

Full privacy policy is available HERE.

I Read Light

TSP-Red button

bibledude-net



Sponsor a Child

Join the Compassion Blogger Network

[footer_backtotop]

Copyright © 2023 Sandra Heska King · Site by The Willingham Enterprise, LLC on the Genesis Framework by StudioPress · Log in