E.T. Is Getting Married

20 winters ago a little foster baby came into our lives. She was born with a number of birth difficulties, including a severe brain bleed. She also came with difficult legal issues and it took 18 months to sort them all out. She had a big forehead and big eyes and Kathy and I nicknamed her E.T. Her birth mom was 14 and a birth father was not identified. Each evening I took on the responsibility of putting Nicole to sleep. Many evenings during that first winter I would light the gas logs in our family room and hold her, pray over her, talk to her, and generally have a wonderful time with this "little lady". She would snuggle into my arms and get comfortable. I don't know who enjoyed this time more, her or me. More than once I agonized over the fact that she didn't have a birth daddy that knew about her, or cared. One night, as I was praying over her, I felt the distinct impression in my mind that when I prayed words like "be a daddy to Nicole because she doesn't have one", the Holy Spirit whispered to me, "you are her daddy, just like I am your daddy". That was significant to me for a couple of reasons. One, it helped me understand that for the moment, I was indeed being a dad to Nicole and she was safe and secure in our home, and second, I needed the reinforcement that God was allowing me to see Him in a more intimate and personal way. I have always struggled with my image of God. Most times He was a distant God, able to do all that His word told me, and interested in me, but from a distance. I always felt like I was part of huge crowd in His presence. That evening, in the warmth of a fire warmed winter night, God became Daddy to me. I felt like He was there with just Nicole and I, letting us know just how much he loved us and cared for us. That memory will be one that will always be a highlight.

For some reason, babies grow up. We have really enjoyed watching Nicole grow. She has become a delightful young lady. Several weeks ago, her boyfriend and I had a private chat that confirmed what Kathy and I had been feeling for some time. On Easter Sunday, Nicole showed us a beautiful engagement ring and she and Nick announced that she had accepted his proposal for marriage. Since then, this daddy's emotions have run the gamut from being very happy, to the sadness of picturing our home without Nicole. I have already shed plenty of tears, both happy and sad, with more to come, I'm sure, as the fall date gets closer. We have been blessed to raise E.T. I have been proud to be her daddy.