Family Says They Learned What God's Love Is after Adopting Boy Traumatized for 7 Years

When a couple agreed to open their hearts and home to an older child, they didn't know it would be a life-altering experience. Their parental journey was filled with unfathomable emotions and surprising moments.

Adoption has emerged as an incredible phenomenon over time. It can bring people together and forge lasting familial connections. However, it might push people to travel off the beaten path and take decisions they never thought they'd take.

A couple from Greenville, South Carolina, experienced something similar when they agreed to do something they didn't think they would ever do. But instead of regretting their decision, their hearts were only filled with overwhelming joy and gratitude.

A HAPPY COUPLE

Jessica Satterfield was living a prosperous life with her husband, Brandon. The couple was happily married and parents to two little kids in 2019, three and two years old. The bundles of joy had their own special needs and kept them occupied.

They had just got a break from spending time with one of their children in the hospital when something unexpected happened. Jessica and Brandon received a phone call, which said that their little kids' biological brother was set to go into foster care.

The caseworker asked the couple if they could take the boy for some time so he would stay out of care. Initially, the Greenville couple was hesitant and scared because they thought they had their hands full already with two kids.

A LIFE-CHANGING PHONE CALL

It was also the week of their ninth wedding anniversary, and the couple didn't know how their decision would impact their lives and their children. Jessica was only familiar with mothering little ones, including changing diapers and watching Mickey Mouse cartoons.

On September 20, 2021, Jessica penned another touching post on Instagram, where she wished Zion a heavenly twelfth birthday.

She didn't think she was fully prepared to care for an older child. Jessica and Brandon had no idea what it would be like to take in a seven-year-old boy. They were unsure whether or not to break the birth order.

EXPERIENCING GOD'S GRACE

They had so many nagging questions and hardly any answers, but regardless, they told the caseworker to bring the boy. Jessica noted how despite reading adoption books and taking the training sessions, she wasn't prepared for the new experience.

As she saw the seven-year-old boy standing outside the door, she felt unimaginable emotions. She recalled how she had sworn not to break the birth order under any circumstances, including some heart-wrenching stories of broken families.

But at the same time, a voice from within reminded her of God's grace and how it was not about her preferences or comfort level. Instead, it was about the direction He had destined for her and other families like hers.

A CLEAR ANSWER

"It was simply knowing we were walking in our yes to Him that has given us the grace that's been sustaining," shared Jessica. She was aware of her little kids' trauma that lasted nine months in utero.

However, their brother experienced the same trauma tenfold for nearly seven years. The first six months of welcoming the boy were filled with unfathomable emotions for the couple. Jessica shared it was like walking on eggshells.

She spent days crying and looking for answers, worried she had compromised her little children's lives. On one such day, Jessica said she heard God say: "What I've called you to, I've called them to as well. Let me be the One to parent their hearts."

WELCOME TO THE FAMILY

Things continued to be difficult for the couple, but they felt content from within. Jessica had felt God's grace through welcoming the boy, and she knew she was headed in the right direction. However, it still took time for her to accept the boy fully.

But when she finally did, it was time for him to leave. After he left, she felt a void in her heart and life, like someone had died. Her little kids awaited their older brother's arrival every day, not comprehending he had gone back.

After a few months, the couple received another call, and this time, they knew they were welcoming the boy permanently. On November 19, 2019, Jessica and Brandon officially adopted the boy as their son, Zion Satterfield. They broke the news on their Instagram page.

A HAPPY MOTHER

Jessica tucked Zion in bed one night and was about to close the door when he told her, "Mommy, you're a really good Mom." She closed the door and started sobbing and said, "those words, coming from that boy, meant more to me than any accolade I could ever receive."

The journey of taking in Zion, seeing him leave, and then adopting him as a Satterfield was anything but easy for Jessica and Brandon. Still, they were delighted to call him their son and provide him with the tender love and care he so rightly deserved.

Tragically, on May 12, 2020, Jessica shared that an accident took Zion's life while playing. "We miss our dear boy so much that words could never say. Our house is quiet, and what I wouldn't give to hear him call "mommy," one more time," wrote the grieving woman.

GOODBYE, DEAR ONE

On September 20, 2021, Jessica penned another touching post on Instagram, where she wished Zion a heavenly twelfth birthday. She cherished a sweet memory of Zion leaving his handprint on one of the walls in the house. Further, she wrote:

"I know you’re more alive today than you’ve ever been, walking with Papa, laughing with Him, probably asking Him a thousand questions. I’ll love you forever. We can’t wait to see you again one day."

We hope that the Satterfield family continues to honor little Zion's legacy. Indeed, they've set an excellent example for other couples by taking in an older child and loving him wholeheartedly.

Thanks to Jessica and Brandon, Zion got a chance to be with his younger siblings, even if it was for a little while. Like them, a single mother discovered her two adopted children were siblings, so she adopted one more to complete her family.

Click here to read her full story.