7 ~ That one time I handed a baby to Hulk Hogan...

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I know we have spent quite a while on the adoption of our first, but I need to share just a bit more about how God cared for me on the way home. We received word from our attorney, Katy Bost, that it was safe for me to carry Aleah over state lines and take her home to meet her mommy in Colorado. I was so pumped! Now I need to mention that my mom told me that I needed a “Joey pouch” type baby carrier for my trek back home. Today, in 2021, with five kiddos, I am the proud owner of a “tacti-cool” baby carrier. I wear the kids with pride, but in 2016 I was a no-kid, pickup-driving kind of a guy, and I wasn’t about to dive in headfirst by getting a baby carrier. I don’t regret my decisions, but in hindsight, I probably could have used a baby carrier that day. I assumed the airport run wouldn’t be that big of a deal and that I could use both my undying charm and cute little newborn to pick up a favor from the car rental area who would obviously be overjoyed to drop me at ticketing… I was so wrong. The car rental person didn’t care that I had a baby. He didn’t care that I was adopting her. He didn’t care that I was taking her to meet her mommy. He didn’t care that I only had the standard-issue two hands and two arms and 8,700 pounds worth of bags. He just didn’t care about anything but me parking the car in the space provided and getting out.

Here’s a little factoid you may not know: that airport on that day set and still holds the world record for a rental lot located the greatest distance from the American Airlines terminal without a shuttle. Starting to feel the weight of what was ahead of me, I pulled myself out of that tiny Mazda 5 for the last time, got my bag full of all my things and doubling as a diaper bag, the suitcase full of Aleah’s things, the car seat that Aleah was in, oh yeah, and Aleah. Through some miracle configuration, I was able to manhandle all of that to the airport, through security, and finally to my terminal. Why didn’t I check a bag? I have no idea. I gate-checked the car seat and one bag. I’ll tell you what I remember. No one asked me for papers on this new little bundle. I just walked right through security with a baby not yet one week old, no mom in sight, and folks just smiled and waved. Disturbing. Anyways, I was late and not sure I would make it to my gate, thanks to my 7-day journey from the rental lot. I made it to my terminal with just a few moments to spare. Aleah was fussing and needed a bottle, so I crashed into a couch; I was parched as I prepared an Enfamil and started feeding her. I was so overwhelmed with emotion and exhaustion from being up multiple times a night since she was born, taking her to her doctor’s appointment so that she could be cleared to leave, packing, hauling, carrying, running, I was emotional and physically spent, and I could feel the weight of the day that had only just started bearing down on me. A mom about my age was passing by us with a 3-year-old little curly-headed girl. She looked at me, and I felt like she saw me for who I was; a tired, exhausted dad of a new little baby. Just her glance almost took me to tears. “That lady gets it,” I thought. I see now why you moms have your mom dates and such. You get each other, and when you know, you know.

I continued feeding Aleah, just wishing I had a drink of water. I was so thirsty. This was week one of being a dad, and I was not prepared. I didn’t know how on earth I would ever make our connecting flight to eventually land in Grand Junction. I was staring at Aleah’s sweet face, which was soothing my own misery and making all of this worth it moment by moment. I had my daughter in my arms, and nothing else mattered. A three-year-old little girl and a pair of capris in tennis shoes came into my view. I looked up, and it was that mom with her hand outstretched holding a $5 airport water. “You looked thirsty, so we got you a water.” She said, smiling. The world stopped. Maybe that mom just knew what I needed and did what she would do for any other mom, but she was Christ to me in that moment. I felt like an idiot reaching out to accept it. I couldn’t even say thank you. I just cried like I’m crying now typing this out. How can an act so simple be so profound? That happened six years ago, and I am just as moved today as I was then. I know that she was responding to the Spirit in that moment, and I received a bottle of water that day not from an understanding mom who had her share of overwhelming days, I received a bottle of water that day from Christ just as if he had handed it to me himself.

Matthew 25:37-40

37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

Not to lighten the mood too much after that, but I need to remind you that I have had a baby on my lap all day. So far, I have managed my bladder function rather skillfully in the airport and on the plane in the lavatory with skills that only moms and dads who have been in this situation can understand. Aleah, if you’re reading this, I apologize. I did what I had to. So anyway, I am at my layover, and the two cups of coffee I’ve had have done their job quite nicely, if you know what I mean. I was wide awake and in need of a stop that, let’s just say, a newborn baby has no business attending on one’s lap.

I honestly wasn’t scared at all. Christ had just handed me a bottle of water in the last airport, and I was full of faith knowing that he would provide yet another ponytail sporting, capris-wearing mom, with maybe two or three kids in tow this time. God would show me the ram in the thicket, so to speak, and I would be able to trust her to hold my baby for just a few brief but necessary moments. I waited expectantly and searched for her. I knew she would be strolling by my gate at any moment. She had to because, well, I needed her to, like now. It was time. Where was she? I started to panic a little. I was so sure of God’s provision, but I just couldn’t quite pick it out of the crowd. “God, where is this woman?” I prayed impatiently. “Right there,” came the answer. “Right in front of you.” There was no mom in front of me. There was no trustworthy-looking woman anywhere in sight. “God, surely you don’t mean…” “Yes, David. (The Lord and my mom both call me David.) Right there. That’s the mom you’re looking for.” “Noooooooo,” I almost laughed in disbelief, “Surely not, Lord.” “Yes.” I got the impression this was a take it or leave it scenario provided by the Most High, and I wasn’t really in a position to leave it.

An older man sat across from me in an OD green sleeveless shirt that showed off his tattoos and ripped muscular arms. His skin looked like the sun had tried to burn him, and he just put it in a chokehold until it tapped out. He had a long white fu manchu, and I couldn’t tell if he looked more like Hulk Hogan or Senior from Orange County Choppers. “This guy is either going to help me or kill me,” I thought. “Hey man,” I started in and was welcomed with a wide smile and a “Hey buddy!” “You wanna hear something funny?” I asked. “Yeah,” he belted out. “Well, I am adopting this baby, and I’m taking her home to meet her mom in Colorado. I asked God to send me a mom to hold her for a minute so I could use the bathroom, and he told me, you’re the mom I’m looking for. Can you help a guy out?” He burst out laughing a big biker laugh as he got up and walked over to me. He sat down beside me and started cooing at Aleah. He told me that he would love to hold her for a while; he was missing his grandkids anyways. “Take your time, man,” he said as he scooped her up, adoring her big brown eyes. “This little gal is in good hands.” I should have run as fast as I could to the bathroom. Maybe for more than one reason, lol, but I knew she was ok. God sent me a biker grandpa. His provision didn’t look like what I thought it should. It wasn’t what I expected, but it was perfect. It wasn’t a distracted mom trying to care for her own brood. This man was capable, he had just one priority, and he was doing it very well. It was perfect, it was timely, and it was literally right in front of me and had been before I ever asked God for it. I came back, and he never saw me coming. He was lost in Aleah’s eyes, and she was quite happy with him. His thick fingers that looked like they had turned a thousand nuts and bolts caressed her sweet little chubby cheeks as he gently talked and cooed to her. We sat there and chatted about his family, his grandkids, and our adoption. He held her the whole time. His flight started boarding, so he handed her back to me. I watched him walk away in his boots and sleeveless shirt, and I just laughed. “Julia is never going to believe this!” I thought. “Wait, can I even tell Julia that I just handed her baby to Hulk Hogan and walked away?” The fear of recounting the story to Julia was drowned out by the deep feeling that I was being cared for and loved by the Father, far more than I could ever care for and love the new little blessing I held in my arms. I loved Aleah with every fiber of my being, and I knew that this was nothing compared to the Father’s love for me.

The last leg; I was almost home. I sat next to a gentleman who was quite curious about our entire story. He was warmed by our story and seemed to be very moved. As I scrambled to get things together enough to get off than plane after we landed in Grand Junction, he was kind enough to offer me a hand. He gathered my things that were gate-checked and walked with me to where I would meet Julia. Here was a perfect stranger helping me out for no reason that I could come up with. We came to the top of the escalator, and I could see Julia all but full-term waiting for us to descend. As we stepped onto the escalator, my friend said, “You know, I just want to thank you for what you’re doing.” Oh, it’s nothing. We are so happy to bring her home.” I replied. “Well, I was adopted too, and this is a huge deal.” I didn’t know what to say. The last helper God sent me that day was an adopted person. He was a full-grown man and looked normal, was kind, was helpful, and a real salt of the earth guy. Maybe we could do this successfully.

I smiled full of emotion as we hit the bottom of the escalator. I had to introduce this guy to Julia. I handed Julia Aleah, and she wept meeting her child for the first time. We hugged and cried. When I turned to introduce my new friend, the bags were left there for me, and he was nowhere to be found. Another provision come and gone. Three people placed in my path specifically to help and care for me along the way who received nothing but an emotional “thank you” from an exhausted dad. God has cared for me through the entire day.

This adoption journey alone would be enough to complete this book and convince you of the love of our Father. This journey alone is more than any family deserves, but it is not the end of our story. It’s just an abbreviation in the revelation of His plan for us. This is just one amazing story in a line of dozens of instances where God has reached down to love on us specifically. If you are considering adoption, can I encourage you to take the first step? Just get your home study done. Make sure that you are a state-recognized, legal, and safe place for a child in need. From there, you can be sure that the Lord will guide you to the child in need of your family, and you can be sure that your family will have been in need of that child.

James 1:26-27

26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. SEO Type jargon. Move along ... Hello, and welcome to my not a blog blog! So, I wrote a book, and I want the message of that book to get out regardless of whether or not anyone buys a copy of the book. A blog, so I hear, is a great way to take advantage of SEO and make sure that people who WANT to find content that my book covers will have a clear path to it’s happy little home in the Amazon marketplace and should then be able to walk away with a hard copy, kindle version, or Audible copy of said book. To that end, I will be releasing sneak previews and portions to each chapter over the next several weeks. Can I buy the book today? No, sorry. While it is completed, edited, and proofed, the audio version is currently being recorded by a guy with a much better voice than my own. I have no idea what I am doing in publishing, but I think I want to release it all at once. How did you get your book on Amazon? Well, I am a brilliant author, but I also used Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) that allows me to manage and upload my own manuscript(s), audio, and artwork. So what is the book about? Sovereign and Gentle is a window into my happy little family for those of you who don’t know us as well as a deeper look for those who do. The book will even be informative to some of my closest friends, as I don’t talk about much of this content often. The book opens with the prospect of either Julia or myself donating a Kidney, follows that painful journey, and then backtracks to cover some of our struggles with infertility, multiple miscarriages, foster care, and adoption. I even sprinkled in some real estate investing horror stories for you guys. The story is framed by key passages from Scripture that have been especially meaningful to me, and the climax of the book seeks to honor and praise God, who has gifted us in all things to be able to serve him in and through our struggles. Did I discuss the big church from college days that laid me off on multiple occasions and kicked us out of a house after the pastor went up the river? I did, and I don’t think I’m bitter… I think... I’m a work in progress there, but I hope that I framed that experience in such a manner that others who have been beaten up by institutions can find comfort in the one who is sovereign over all things and in His ultimate plan.