Myriah had another piece of information for us during that same phone call that I mentioned in last week’s blog (and, since that call is still the most recent. . . we’ll go with that for today’s topic). She still gets extra points for transparency and had we not gone through the roller coaster that we did back in April, we might not have taken it as just another turn on this ride.
Point is (and we’ve mentioned this before), Jennifer is in hiding, so to speak. She is not a serial killer nor a Colombian drug lord (no offense meant to Juan Valdez or any other law-abiding Colombian), so it simply means that she is not meeting with parole officers or other law enforcement, etc., anytime soon. If she does, she will be picked up and possibly even have the baby behind prison bars. By the way, that is not the piece of information I am talking about.
Myriah wanted us to be prepared for the fact that an expectant mother hiding could also mean being in the presence of, or possibly even participation in drug use. Her criminal history is filled with drug trafficking charges, so being around it is not a shock, nor is it far outside the realm of possibility. But, her news came with a caveat. It also means that, should any narcotics appear in Jennifer’s blood work that is screened during childbirth, the baby will automatically be admitted to the newborn ICU (nICU for short). This doesn’t mean that the baby will have any dependency or any other issues, it could simply be for precautionary measures. But, it is a possibility, and (once again) we give Myriah much love for allowing us to mentally process and prepare for the possibility weeks in advance instead of minutes in advance.
But, let me tell you where this stone rolled downhill in our lives. We have openly shared this information with friends, family, and others that are either praying for this process or just interested. Heck, unless this is your first time reading my blog, you know that we have been painfully transparent throughout this journey. Over the course of the past two weeks, we have gotten mixed reactions from that news. But, one response really made me turn all Arnold, with a “what-choo talkin’ ’bout.”
Basically, the conversation rolled along just like I typed it above. Same information about the possibility of the baby spending time in nICU. Same commentary that we are starting to see how God prepared us for this baby through the trials of the one that got away. Then the whammo. The response we got was a question. (Paraphrased) “So, if there’s something wrong with the baby, are you required to take it or can you choose to wait for another one?”
Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. . . . We aren’t getting on a plane in a few weeks and heading to Phoenix to go to the pet store. “Nah – that dog looks a little wormy. Thanks, but no thanks.” This is our child. Period. End of sentence. Two months from now we will hopefully be back in Tennessee with our child. Two years from now, we will be potty-training (Hey! A man can hope!) our child. Five years from now we will have sent our child to Kindergarten. You get the picture? What mother gives birth expecting to take home a child to start raising but leaves it at the hospital if it happens to check off a box on the imperfection checklist? “Sorry, doc, but see if someone else wants her. Do you see that ______?”
So, if you had that thought, let me answer that question. HECK NO!!!! We will gladly bring home the child God has planned for us and begin to try to raise up a follower of Christ (but, since it’s a boy, I would gladly also try to raise a left-handed pitcher). God certainly adopted me into His kingdom with a laundry list of imperfections, praise the Lord! So, while we pray for God to show His sovereign power by handing us a perfect baby boy, we know that He also has a way for us to carry out His plan regardless.
So, join us in praying that this little guy comes on time, that details in our travel, paperwork, and stay begin to work themselves out, and that God’s power is on display with the end result when we bring Scott #4 home. Also pray that we lock in a name for him, as we have bounced things back and forth without nailing it down for months now.
And don’t skip the verse below – so powerful and so true.
“Now may the God of peace, who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus—the great Shepherd of the sheep—with the blood of the everlasting covenant, equip you with all that is good to do His will, working in us what is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ. Glory belongs to Him forever and ever.” – Hebrews 13:20-21
Scottish Invasion 