By Lindsay Roberts

“But you God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to you; you are the helper of the fatherless.” Psalm 10:14

After 14 years of numerous surgeries resulting in no chance of having biological children, my husband, Mike, and I decided to adopt a child. We were so impatient as we waited, not understanding why it was taking so long to be matched.

One day we received a call from our adoption agency saying they had a perfect match for us: a beautiful, 9-year-old, special needs girl. This is a time when most people might be scared by the words “special needs.” I have to admit, it made us a little nervous until we received her pictures and background files. We immediately fell in love and knew she was our daughter. We realized everything was in God’s hands this whole time, and he gave us the right child when he thought we were ready.

Within three weeks of receiving the files, our daughter was living with us. The three of us made immediate connections. Shynia came to us severely malnourished with borderline mental disability, autism and numerous learning disabilities. We were able to get Shynia into healthy eating habits and now, a year and a half later, she has gained 40 pounds and four dress sizes.

As soon as our adoption was final, we decided to home-school Shynia, because she needed the one-on-one attention. She was on a kindergarten level when she was placed with us, and today she is learning on a 4th grade level.

Shynia has changed our lives dramatically. Our friends say they see a twinkle in our eyes they’ve never seen before. Our home is full of laughter, love, hope and beautiful memories in the making. Our little girl has gone from a scared, troubled child to a secure, happy and confident young girl.

We are so proud to have her as our daughter and not one day goes by that she doesn’t say “thank you for adopting me.” We thank God every day for this beautiful gift he chose for us.

Mike and Lindsay Roberts finalized the adoption of their daughter Shynia through Buckner in February of 2014. They enjoy their peaceful and happy life in the piney woods of Jasper, Texas.

Editor’s Note: March is developmental disabilities awareness month. Learn more about the history of this emphasis here.

Prayer of the Week:
-God, we pray for all children who wait and long for a family. We ask you to comfort them, protect them and give them hope for the future. Please raise up and equip Christian families to minister to orphans and vulnerable children by welcoming them into their homes.
 

Sign up here to have our weekly Faith Focus e-mail delivered to your inbox!