“We are so thrilled,” Jeralee says. “It’s almost like a dream because we never thought we would be here. It’s always another foster family who’s adopting. Now, all of a sudden, it’s the Redmons who are adopting.” It’s been a long journey, but one Joshua and Jeralee wouldn’t trade because through the tears, trials and joy, they discovered their calling.
•••
As most young married couples do, Joshua and Jeralee had a plan. They married in December 2006 and moved from New Mexico to Fort Worth for Joshua to attend seminary. They knew they wanted children and even had the desire for adoption, but they thought that would happen down the road after having a few biological children first. However, God quickly shut one door after another, turning their plans upside down. Joshua did not get into seminary and in the next few years, he and Jeralee moved several times between Fort Worth and Temple working different jobs. Then, they realized they were unable to have biological children.
“The Lord didn’t gift us with biological kids and so we struggled with that, and that was a real struggle,” Jeralee says. “It’s hard on a mother’s heart to say I cannot give birth to a child. That’s a hard place to come from.”
“There was a lot of struggle and a lot of battle in that,” Joshua adds. “But we surrendered it to him and allowed God to start moving in our hearts and show us exactly what we were supposed to do.” In 2011, Joshua resigned from his job as a youth pastor in Temple, and he and Jeralee lived with a friend while they sought direction from God. “We kept being drawn to Fort Worth again,” Jeralee says. “So we said, ‘Lord, if you want us to move back to Fort Worth, you will need to provide a house and a job.’ Within two days, he provided a house free of rent. Right after that, Joshua’s old job called back and said, ‘If you’re looking for a job, we’ll offer it.’ So we had a house and a job so we said, ‘OK, Lord, I guess we’ll go.’”
Their new home had an extra bedroom and Joshua and Jeralee
knew God must have a reason for providing them a larger house than {continued on page 21}
18 Buckner Today • WINTER 2015 ISSUE
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