If you’ve read any of the comments left on my blog, you have probably read one left by “Jess”. Knowing she has walked the road of infertility, and is now the mother of 5 children, I wanted to know her story. So I posted a blog asking her to share her story with me through email.

She shared her incredible story with me and I would like to, with her permission, share it with you.

Jess and her husband, Rodney, were married 11 years ago and like Dave and I, started trying to conceive three months after their wedding. After 12 months they went to see a doctor who put Jess on Clomid. She took the Clomid for 6 months and then they felt God was leading them to stop Clomid and do no further fertility tests or treatments. As Jess said, “The desire to have a child was so huge and I felt like I was being told no.”

Ok let’s camp out here for a minute. Here you have a girl who just wants to be a mother but God is saying “no”. Talk about obedience and surrendering your will for God’s Will! I’m sure Jess and Rodney asked a lot of “Why not?” questions during this time of just waiting. But God had a beautiful plan to reveal – in His Timing. And Jess and Rodney were obedient to God and did what He was asking of them.

So Jess went back to finish her college degree since she had quit because she though she would become a stay at home mom soon. A couple of years pass and Jess is in her last semester of school doing her student teaching. Rodney asks her to consider adoption as God had laid that on his heart a few months prior.

Jess was opposed at first. She wanted to experience pregnancy and couldn’t see past that point. She told him she would pray about it with him.

Let’s stop here for a minute. See the obedience here as well? She doesn’t like the idea, but God has been talking to her husband. She chooses to join alongside her husband instead of scoffing completely at the whole idea. And what does God do?

God changed Jess’s heart and after 7 and a half years of marriage, Jess and Rodney became parents to a 17-month-old little girl through adoption.

Now I’m just drawing conclusions here, but it seems to me that God had Jess and Rodney wait because, at the time they were desperately wanting to be parents, this little girl wasn’t even born. And this was the little girl He wanted to give them. And now at 6 and half years old, I’m sure Jess and Rodney can’t imagine life without her!

Now, that part is amazing enough. But God wasn't through yet!

Three years ago God began leading Jess and Rodney to foster. Jess said it was a huge faith issue for her.

The day after completing the foster care paperwork she received a call about three siblings who were currently in a shelter. Her first response was, “THREE at ONE TIME!” They told the case worker they weren’t ready to take on a sibling group of 3.

Jess wrote, “I am so thankful God’s purpose will still prevail even when we have our own plans that fail. (Proverbs 29:11)”

A week later the social worker called back to tell of another child who needed foster care but mentioned the three that were still waiting. Jess said, “Let’s just say there was yet another amazing transformation of our hearts.”

Scared to death, and not knowing if they would have the kids one day, a couple of months or for forever, they went and picked up and brought home a 7-year-old, 2-year-old and a baby only 18 days old! By the world’s standards they were crazy because they picked up these kids with literally only the clothes on their backs. They did not even send diapers or formula for the baby.

But once again, God spoke and Jess and Rodney were obedient.

They brought those children home and their parents and church family blessed them with the material things they needed for the children.

And God still wasn’t through with their story!

Three months after they began fostering, Jess became pregnant!

People told Jess and Rodney, "You just had to adopt, and then you got pregnant", or "You finally quit trying so hard." But Jess is quick to tell them it had nothing to do with what they did or didn't do. As Jess said, "It's all about God - His timing, His plan, His will for our family".

Many people did not know that after adopting their first daughter they began fertility treatments again. Jess wrote, “God knew that if I had gotten pregnant we probably would not have began fostering. Without fostering, I would have never met three of my children.”

Beautiful story! And to think, this is the God that is on my side!

As I read and wrote about Jess’s story there was one resounding theme throughout the whole entire story: OBEDIANCE.

Through everything, Jess and Rodney were obedient to the calling of God on their lives. Was it easy? I’ll let Jess answer this for us:

“This road we have traveled is not one I would have chosen on my own. When I got married I never dreamed that I would become a mother first through adoption (and I know that is not God's plan for everyone) but I wouldn't trade the experiences for ANYTHING. Have I always felt this way or was everything always smooth sailing? NO! But I can say, God had been our Rock, our Strength, our Comforter, and our Guide.”

One of the main things God is teaching me is that obedience is a requirement if I want to receive all the blessings God has for me.

God rewards obedience – Jess and Rodney are a testimony of this.

Thank you, Jess, for sharing your story with me and allowing me to share it with others.

- Elaine