As with most couples, our family began with a dream and a vision of what we wanted our family to be in this world. Bryan, originally from England, was scouted to the United States to play soccer. Bryan and I married right after college, where we met at Jacksonville University in Florida.
Bryan came from a family of four siblings and I grew up with two younger sisters. We both desired to have a large family. Even as a young girl, I would dream and believe in my heart I would get married and would have a large family one day.
Our dream came true, but just as many can confirm, God’s ways and thoughts are not ours – not even close! We make the plans of our heart and He determines our steps. To this I am so very blessed and grateful. Telling our story of how our biological, adoptive, foster family came to be wouldn’t be complete without sharing the greatest reason and story of our Heavenly family that became the foundation of our own earthly family story.
Neither Bryan nor myself grew up in Christian home. We both surrendered our lives to Jesus right after college. Our lives, direction, and dreams dramatically changed as we began to change the way we lived; we began following Jesus instead of our own pursuits. Understanding the beautiful power of personally being adopted into the family of God changed the way we saw and envisioned family design.
Bryan and I were both teachers straight out of college. I taught for seven years until we were blessed with our first child, Gabrielle. I was fortunate to be able to stay home and homeschool her. My, how our children reflect time. Gabrielle turned 20 this year and is currently in her second year at N.C. State University. We could not be prouder of her on every level. Again, “I thought” we would have children born close together to be playmates, but God had a greater design.
In the five years of waiting for our second child, we enjoyed our first little girl, stayed busy in ministry with other children from work and church, and also pursued and prepared for adoption. We moved out of the city of Jacksonville, Fla., to acquire some land in Monticello, Fla., to raise children in wide open spaces with chickens and goats.
Toward the end of those five years, God’s ways and timing amazed us again! After years of praying for pregnancy, as well as years of preparation towards fostering and adopting, the final week our adoption papers were finalized was the very week I found out I was pregnant with our precious second daughter, Divine Hope. She turned 15 this year and is now beginning the journey of practicing driving. She attends the wonderful school of Macon Early College and is thriving.
Three years later after Divine graced us with her presence, the dream of a large family and the beauty of adoption was still alive in our hearts. We received a call out of the blue from someone from our ministry back in Jacksonville. She said she remembered our heart for kids and adoption so she wanted to let us know about a friend of hers who needed help. Her friend was pregnant and desired to have a private adoption.
This was another beautiful “God’s way and timing” story. We would have planned it with no bumps in the road; however, we wouldn’t have seen God’s fingerprints everywhere and there would have been no room for God to move.
Our Joy Destiny story is a beautiful example of God opening closed doors and moving hearts and making a way when there seemed to be no way. She is turning 12 this Friday! She also attends the wonderful school of Mountain Valley Intermediate and is loving it.
Four years later, we received a call from the same person in Jacksonville letting us know about a one-year-old blond-haired boy named Luke Christian. The first little man in the Wilkinson home was surrounded by three sisters, or shall I say, “little Mammas.” Soon, thereafter, we excitedly moved to the beautiful mountains, rivers, and waterfalls of Franklin. Our precious Luke is turning 8 years old soon and attends the nurturing school of Cartoogechaye Elementary.
Two years ago, at a Bible study partly led by Deena Bouknight at Discover Church, Deena shared that there was a need for a local family to house a minister’s child from Haiti due to rising gang violence in the country. As she was speaking, my heart was jumping out of my chest. I prayed before I called Bryan to ask, and then I called Deena right back to let her know we were willing, able, and ready!
We now host 12-year-old Samuel Antoine, who is an absolute gift to each of us. He is currently at Macon Middle School and flourishing.
Looking back, I have learned that God gives us a desire, and then He wants us to trust Him with “the how” process and the journey. God created family; it’s His beautiful design. Whether He gifts us with a birth child or through adoption or fostering, it’s always His will and His timing.
As He expresses in his Word, “All things were created by Him and for Him.” Col. 1:6; and, “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever.” Romans 11:36.
The Wilkinson family is pictured at top.