Before I Called You Mine

by Nicole Deese

That you’re a dinosaur hater. I’m not sure I’d be able to look past that kind of admission, Lauren. Don’t be cruel. Put me out of my misery now

Adoption was a privilege, a blessing, a responsibility so much greater than myself.

It’s obvious to everyone who sees you in your classroom that you do what you do out of love, not out of obligation.”

“I don’t think it’s possible for us to measure the impact one person can have on another, but I do believe that offering hope to someone without it is invaluable.”

I may be single, but I had no desire to be an island.

Every one of our children required something a little different when it came to bonding with us as parents.

all of them needed to be shown we were trustworthy. That we would meet their needs. That we were theirs forever.”

Had my yearning to adopt stemmed from my own brokenness or from God’s heart?

“You sound like you’re freezing!” “I can’t say I’m a candidate for heatstroke.”

God’s way is rarely easy, but it’s always better than mine.”

He loves us, and everything He asks of us, or allows us to walk through, has a purpose.”

“That first year is the most crucial, especially when adopting an older child. She’ll be grieving—no matter how well cared for she is at that children’s home. Leaving the only place she’s ever called home, and the only people who’ve ever cared for her, is a traumatic event. That’s a fact, not an opinion. Navigating life in this new world will require your undivided attention—and

sometimes our character needs time to catch up to our calling.”

Convenience and desperation weren’t the ingredients for a healthy marriage or a healthy family life.

God’s connected you both, Lauren, since before the beginning of time, and His provision has made a way for you to meet.

Please be with her in this moment, Lord. Help her to see you in me.

I knew from years of teaching that mirroring a child’s height and posture reduced potential threat and gave them permission to test and explore their surroundings.

she’d read all the recommended books on how to promote healthy bonding and attachment between newly adopted children and their parents.

I wonder what the best books are out there for that subject

even distraction with the best of intentions would never equal comfort.

He’d asked me to trust Him, and when I had, He’d given back tenfold what He’d asked of me.

What is the hard that God’s asking me to partner with Him in?