About a week ago I had the thought that happiness oftentimes comes when you share your life with others. That's one of the things I love about counseling and something I've come to value in all those I have relationships with.
This concept of happiness was really evident to me last Sunday afternoon as I shared in an open house for the Vogt family, celebrating the adoption of Nicholas (in the picture being held by his mom) which was two years in the making. The Vogt's are really special people in my life. I met Shannon about five years ago when we volunteered together at Atlanta Care one Saturday and I found out we went to the same church. A few months later I saw her at church and we got to talking and later set up a time to hang out. Shannon has been a dear friend and mentor to me. She is a Godly example of a wife, mom, and laborer for the Lord despite many hardships that have occurred along her journey.
I've really gotten to know their family quite well. They adopted their son Jack in 2001. He is 7 years old now. When Jack was 5 they got Nicholas as a foster child. Nicholas was 3 1/2 then. They had been praying for 2 years for God to bring the right child to them and had been praying ever since getting Nicholas that God would finalize the adoption. Nicholas was adopted from Floyd County which is where I went to college- how 'bout that.
Shannon reminded me at the party that I was one of the first people to meet Nicholas. They brought him home from his other foster family in late September of 2005. I think about a week later I came over to have my annual birthday dinner with them. I remember Nicholas was really shy then and he would try to talk to you but it was barely understandable. Now he is a healthy, growing little boy with almost perfect speech and a joyful personally.
Being able to spend time with them at the party was really special. It is so neat to see such a clear representation of faith and God's faithfulness to them.
The picture is of the Vogt family with the judge on October 4, 2007 when Nicholas became theirs forever. The other is a fun picture that Claire, Shannon's daughter, took of the both of us.
1 comment:
Thanks for the story, Jess. It's so cool to hear how much of an impact you have on the lives of those around you. It's even cooler how God works in those lives in ways we often don't even realize.
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