Josh and Crysti Potter were personally introduced to adoption through her brother Travis and his wife Amanda. They adopted two girls born to one of Amanda’s family members. Even though adoption wasn’t at the forefront of Josh and Crysti’s minds, when sweet nieces came along thirteen years ago, they felt love no different than the love for biological family. This love came naturally to both of them.

Fast forward years later, the Lord opened the Potter’s eyes while driving church vans in their community. During this time and season, they saw some situations while out visiting or picking up children that broke their hearts wide open. They began to see the needs in the lives of children and families.

The Lord first laid adoption on Crysti’s heart. She told Josh, but he wasn’t entirely on board initially because they already had four biological children. So, Crysti prayed, Lord, if it is your will that we open our family and home to adopt a child, you will have to lay it on my husband’s heart and show him, too. Crysti left it at that. In God’s time, God showed Josh that it was His will for them to become a family open to adopting a child. God sent confirmations. Josh and Crysti prayed and decided to start the process through an adoption agency. They met, gathered needed information, and took training. The Potters felt vulnerable as the agency raked their lives with a fine-toothed comb.

The Potter family prayed daily for God’s will as they learned to lean toward God and trust Him. God proved faithful. He sent a great support system who understood adoption and knew how important it was for children to have families.

Each adoption is different and unique to every family. But for the Potters, it took moving out of their comfort zone, giving up one hundred percent control, and trusting God while He worked. They clung to Jeremiah 33:3 and Ephesians 3:20.

Once the home study was complete, Josh and Crysti, made their plan to adopt public. God used this announcement to send two sons, Lincoln and Noah. They received a call about Lincoln, not from the adoption agency, but from a precious cousin of Josh’s who owned a daycare in Chattanooga. Lincoln was in her daycare, and his Mimi struggled to keep him due to financial issues and other factors. With a broken heart, she had confided in Josh’s cousin that she could not raise him any longer. The daycare owner reached out, and the Potters met with Lincoln and his Mimi. At the end of the visit, Mimi said she wanted Crysti to be Lincoln’s mom. She chose them both to parent Lincoln. This humbling experience proved God keeps his promises. Within a week, Lincoln was in the Potters’ home, with legal custody.

Challenges occurred as Lincoln was only three years old and unaware of what was happening. Out of grief, He rejected Crysti. Rejecting the female can be typical for a toddler when placed with a new family. Knowing this rejection was expected didn’t keep this from stinging Crysti’s heart. But the family worked through this obstacle with love, patience, prayers, and trust in God.

Less than eight weeks later, another message came, again, not from the adoption agency. A local birth mom, now named Amma to Noah, needed help. She needed a family for her unborn son. Crysti and Josh met with her at a local restaurant. Shortly into the conversation, she said, “Yes, it’s you guys; I want you to be my child’s parents and family.” Josh and Crysti were again humbled by the faithfulness of God to finish the work He’d started. Noah arrived several weeks later. God’s work and plan had grown and completed the Potter family.

Both Potter adoptions are open. First, learning of open adoption put a little fear in their hearts, but they chose to trust God and see the beauty in openness. Not every adoption can be open due to safety or other situations, but the Potters were able to maintain a relationship with Lincoln’s Mimi and Noah’s Amma. They wouldn’t have it any other way. Crysti vows that nothing can overthrow or change God’s will as He brings it to pass. As His people, she encourages us to step out and say, “Here we are, Lord, have your will and your way.” As Crysti says, “God will show us how good He is.” 

God sent the Potter family two sons in a few short months, not through an agency, not through DCS, but through His hand. He sends children to families in different ways according to His will. Crysti will never forget begging and praying, over and over, asking God to do something so big that she and Josh couldn’t get any credit for His work. She desired God to get all the glory, and He has undoubtedly done that!

The Potters have seen God’s faithfulness and recognize He is a loving Father. Adoption is at the heart of God, for He’s adopted us into His family. These parents have a miraculous God-given love, for their adopted boys, loving them like Crysti had birthed them.

Feel free to contact the Potter family if you want to learn more about their adoption journey. This family is ready to love, support, and pray for any family considering adoption. The Potters faced some complex trials during their adoption process. One was a life-threatening illness that threatened one of their daughters, but God was faithful. They send out a message reminding us that no matter what we face and go through, God will carry us. He’ll give faith and will be our very strong help.

THE POTTERS PROMISE, YOU CAN TRUST GOD! 

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us; Ephesians 3:20