News. The Best News.

Last Friday I posted this.  I spent the rest of the weekend crying on and off.  I spent the early part of this week crying on and off. And a lot of yesterday, the day of their hearing, crying on and off.  And to be honest, I've spent a lot of time since last February when this situation first arose crying on and off. And in the midst of those tears and on either side of them I prayed, like a mad woman, for this situation to be resolved in a way that would be best for Asher.

And all over the world, and I love that I can say world--because I know it's true, people were praying their hearts out for Asher and his mommy and daddy.  Thousands of people, many of them who don't even know Karen and Aaron and will never meet them cried out for them and their amazing little boy.  They prayed that what was best for Asher would be done; pleading with God that what would be best for Asher would be that he'd stay with Karen and Aaron.

And today.  January 10th.  An amazing judge ruled that what would be best for Asher is for Karen and Aaron to be his parents for the rest of his life.  He belonged with them.

There really are no words to describe how I feel about this ruling.  Elated? Relieved? Thankful? Overcome with emotion?  They're all true.  But they just don't feel......good enough.....descriptive enough.  And I think that's how it is when something is that good.  It takes the words out of your mouth and reduces you to a shaking, sobbing, laughing, mess in the Subway parking lot while you're picking up lunch and people walk by you wondering what's wrong with the crazy woman in the white car.

I can never say thank-you enough to everyone that took up this burden and inquired about it over and over, the stories you've shared with me about people you know and that I don't asking about it, the comments I've read on so many of your Facebook walls after you shared Asher's story that were brimming over with love and support and sadness and faith, the e-mails I've received from adoptive mamas who I've never met who've been in this situation offering a listening ear, and ultimately....the prayers.

The prayers have blown me away.  It's been one of the defining moments in my life. To see so many people come together for this amazing family and hurt for them when they probably didn't even know them was life altering for me and taught me so much about what it means to pray without ceasing and to have faith in a God who is bigger than legal precedent and a judicial system that is so frequently frustrating and illogical.

I'll leave you with Karen's Facebook status tonight.......

It’s over! We won! Asher is ours!!!

The Lord so graciously went before us today. He gave us a wise judge who cares about the law. He spared all of our witnesses from the horrible task of having to testify. He granted us an immediate decision - a dismissal - from the judge, within 20 minutes of when the hearing began.

We celebrate so many victories today, the greatest being the Lord’s presence in our lives. We always knew we were called to be parents - and today that was reaffirmed for us in mighty ways. We’ve seen friends, families…even strangers come together on our behalf collectively pounding down the gates of Heaven through prayer and petition. We’ve experienced 12 days of AWESOMENESS with Asher…and locked precious moments from each of those days deep down in our hearts to carry with us always.

And above all, we believe that the Lord has been glorified in mighty ways…glorified by your response to us…glorified by the final outcome…and most importantly, glorified in the praises we hope you’ll shout to the heavens when you read this post.

Psalm 118:15
Shouts of JOY and VICTORY resound in the tents of the righteous: “The Lord’s right hand has done MIGHTY things!