We are pleased to have Sara Berry guest blogging for us today. Sara is wife, mother, teacher, speaker, and author. Her newest book A Broken Mirror is a novel based on a true story of a New Beginnings adoption. We also had the honor of completing Sara’s homestudy for what some would consider to be special needs adoption last year. We are so happy to be able to share this amazing story with you.

Our little Charlie’s miracle last year…

Charlie has been with us for a year now.  He is three, almost four. He had quite the miracle story. We went to China knowing that our Charlie could not walk, nor did they think he would be able to walk, due to a birth defect. Three times the adoption agency called to ask us if we wanted to reconsider this adoption because they did not think he would be able to walk. I am so thankful God gave us the grace to walk ahead with our adoption even though I was very scared.

Before we left for China, the story of Peter and John healing the lame mind came frequently to my mind and heart.  I found myself singing the song I learned in Sunday school as I packed my bags.  I told a dear friend that despite his diagnosis, I felt that “walking and leaping and praising God” would be his life story.  I just didn’t know if he would literally walk and leap.  Spiritually, I believed he would come to know the love of Jesus as he grew to know the love of his new family.  But oh how I longed for him to walk and leap physically, as well.  And so we prayed, we fasted, and we trusted God to answer in whatever way He saw fit.

When they handed Charlie to us for the first time, we knew he couldn’t walk–his legs were weak and flaccid. I sent the translator back to the orphanage director to confirm what I knew to be true—his birth defect was too severe to expect him to walk.

An hour later, we were in the van on the way back to the hotel.  On the way back, I simply prayed the words of Peter and John, “In the name of Jesus Christ, rise up and walk.” Thirty minutes after that prayer, Charlie got up and walked, then ran! A year later, my Charlie is so happy and so loving and so smart. He runs, climbs, jumps, and rides his tricycle.  He adores his family and all of us adore him and his sister, Sally, also adopted from China.  

When Charlie walked for the first time, Mont had the good sense to grab his phone and record it. You can watch the video here: Charlie the Walking Man

Be sure to check out Sara’s book. You can find it at independent bookstores, Amazon, B&N.com, and at www.bethelroadpublications.com.