by Mallory Fogas, owner of Arrow + Root
Adoption. It's a word heard often in the pro-life movement, but also a word that holds many emotions and stigmas.
When you hear the word adoption, what do you think of? Who do you think of? Where do your feelings or perception of adoption come from? Take a deep breath and sit with that for a moment.
Most likely, if you are reading this you are involved in the pro-life movement to some degree, which means you know how important a conversation about adoption is when it comes to being a valid life-giving option.
Adoption has evolved over time from secrecy and shame, to openness and embracing one another. The narrative has shifted and in the last five years there has been an explosion in the adoption community that has caused many of the old, unethical practices, language, and thought processes to be challenged. A new dawn has come and many members of the adoption triad (adoptee, adoptive parents, and birth parents) are speaking out by sharing their stories, both good and bad.
But, how does this influence your role at the clinic you serve in? How does it apply to the work you are doing in the pro-life community?
You are on the front lines everyday sharing life and death options with women in untimely pregnancies, and one of the life options that is discussed is adoption. Many of the women you serve have been influenced through the saturation around them from society, and let me just say, society is not caught up on the modern and ethical adoption approach.
I encourage you to ask yourself these questions:
I previously worked in the pregnancy center movement for eight years, I GET IT! Trust me when I say I know how hard it is to sit across from an abortion-determined woman who only sees parenting or abortion as her two options. I know how intimidating the conversation can be.
But, I do believe we can empower ourselves to approach the options conversation with knowledge that better reflects the new shift within adoption relationships. I believe that how we set up our organizations, how we create a culture within our staff and volunteers, the training we provide and the frequency of that training all play a huge role in the conversation of modern adoption.
Change the culture. Change the hearts. Change the conversations.
Adoption is a heart issue and an issue of understanding. That is why it is vital to the integrity of the pro-life movement to have current, ethical and modern adoption education for the team working in your organization. That is why itâs vital to have more than an agency come in once a year to train for two hours (or less!) to meet your adoption education requirements set by the state.
If we want to see a culture of life within our nation, we have to get behind adoption as a valid life option. It starts with us, our own perceptions and understanding of adoption. It starts with our heart and our willingness to support those who chose adoption better. It starts by listening to those who have walked through an adoption journey, with various experiences and perspectives to learn from them.
Now I challenge you with this: How will the culture of adoption change in your organization?
A short story by Kirk Walden
Though the date was December 14, Rick Shannon was not in a Christmas mood. Carols were playing on his car radio, but as he sat in traffic watching snow shower his car, Rick could only think of the reasons why he could not sing along this particular Christmas.
For one, Rickâs five-year-old advertising business he launched out of his converted garage was skating on ice much thinner than that which was collecting on the roadside signs. Today he had hoped to turn things around. But a meeting with representatives from Home Again, a restaurant chain of more than 600 establishments, started fast and seemed to fizzle at the close.
âWe like your work, Rick,â the vice president in charge of advertising told him. âYou seem to understand our Christian values. Your ideas may fit now, or perhaps later on. Weâll let you know.â
âWhen do I need to get in touch?â Rick asked.
âOh, weâll get in touch with you. And donât worry, we will contact you either way.â
Rick had heard the donât call us, weâll call you line many times. If things did not turn around soon, he might be looking for work early next year. But it wasnât as though he had children to feed. He and Joanne had always desired children, since the day they were married nine years earlier. They prayed, they went to every doctor they could find, and still no children.
For the last three years they had worked with an adoption agency. The wait, they were told, would be at least five years, perhaps more. Maybe seven or eight. As Rickâs mood faltered further, he wondered if he would ever hold a child of his own. And here he sat, two hours from home, with traffic moving at a snailâs pace. The snow fell even harder now. Would they close the roads? Would he even see Joanne tonight? He picked up his cell phone to tell her the bad news.
A change in plans
Before he could dial the number however, Rick was startled by a banging on the passenger door. The boy couldnât have been more than 17 or 18; his hair was black, wet and sprinkled by the snow.
âIâve got to get to the hospital!â He yelled through the closed window.
Rick looked him over quickly. Was he sick? Wounded? Or was this kid a thief or a carjacker? Rick didnât have time to pray over the situation. The banging on the door was that of desperation. Rick popped the locks and the kid hopped in.
âThanks man. Iâve got to get to the hospital. Can you run me by?â
Rick mumbled in the affirmative, asking where he was to go.
âAbout two miles up ahead. Not far. Itâs on the left. Youâre not from here?â
âNo, Barrier Cliff,â Rick responded, trying to focus on this new situation.
âYouâre a ways from home, man. You gonna try to beat the storm?â
âI might try . . .â but Rick was cut off by the chatty young man.
âYouâll need this, thatâs for sure,â The kid was tapping Rickâs Bible, which he had pulled off of the passengerâs seat when he jumped in.
Rick smiled at the attempt at humor. He decided he could be friendly, even with all that was on his mind. The kid was talkative, and seemed honest enough.
âHave you read it all the way through?â The kid was inquisitive, too.
Rick nodded. What was this kidâs story?
âIâve read it through too,â the kid told him. âJust gave my life to the Lord three months ago. And Iâve read like the whole Bible already. Wild what happens when you really need the Lord, isnât it?â
Rick nodded again, but found it hard to force a smile. Rick was wondering where God was at the moment. Did the Lord even care about his struggles with his business? And where was the child he and Joanne so desperately wanted?
The kid interrupted his thoughts. âYeah, itâs been a tough time,â he said as if Rick had asked. âBut God pulled me through.â He was oblivious to Rickâs lack of interest in a conversation.
âMy girlfriend had a baby,â he continued. âThatâs why Iâve got to hoof it to the hospital. Couldnât catch a ride, so I started walking. To see my boy. He was just born an hour ago. He came so fast and my cell was off at work. Heâs two weeks early.â
He kept talking; all Rick could do was listen. âI wonât see him long, though. We decided to place him in an adoptive home. She told me I canât say like, âgave him up for adoptionâ cause weâre placing him. Our choice. Sheâs doing the right thing though, I guess. Weâre just in high school. I just canât do much for a baby right now. You think itâs okay, donât you?â He stopped abruptly, waiting for an answer.
âYou two made a wise choice. You tell your girlfriend sheâs a brave girl,â Rick offered.
The kid was ready to talk again. âShe is,â he said quickly. âShe picked the adoption agency, even made the phone call. She liked the people there. She even asked the adoption people to pick the family. Then when they came toâlikeâtalk to us about all of it, they talked about the Lord and He just started changing my life.â The kid was quiet for a moment, then kept going. âFunny, huh? Itâs like God reached down and snagged me when I wasnât even expecting it.â
Finding an answer
The kidâs next question caught Rick off guard. âYou got any kids?â
âUhhhh. No.â This wasnât a subject Rick wanted to touch.
âWhy not?â To go with âtalkativeâ as a character trait for the kid, Rick noted ânosy.â
âItâs not that we donât want kids,â Rick said sullenly. âItâs just that . . .â Rickâs voice began to trail off. What could he say to a high school kid? âItâs just that it hasnât worked out.â The kid was silent, for a change. For a few moments, nothing was said.
The kid broke the silence, starting with some small talk. He introduced himself as Mike, and after a while they were talking as traffic broke loose and began to move. They talked about sports, a shared love of baseball and even about their spiritual lives.
Though Mike was young, Rick marveled at his insights. A few minutes later, the hospital came into view. There, Mike directed Rick into the parking lot. âThatâs where I can go in. Hey, will you come in with me and see my boy?â
Mike hesitated for a split second. âMy parents,â he said slowly. âThey uh, they didnât wantâthey couldnât, you knowâmake it.â
Rick understood. Even if the day wasnât what he expected, maybe he could help the kid a little. The snow was still coming down; he would need to find a hotel for the night anyway. Rick would call Joanne and let her know he would be home as soon as the roads cleared in the morning.
âIt would be an honor,â Rick replied. âLet me give my wife a call.â Rick dropped off Mike and checked the signs for Labor & Delivery. He would find his way there in a little while, he told Mike.
Rick punched the buttons on his cell phone. In a moment, Joanne answered and Rick shared his story of a strange finish to a frustrating day. Joanne listened closely, then had a question.
âHave they already picked an agency?â she asked.
Yes, Rick told her, everything was settled.
A thought
Joanne wasnât finished.
âWhat if God wants us to . . . well, if they wanted to pick a couple . . .â Her voice sounded hopeful.
âTheyâve already worked it out,â Rick told her softly. âIâd better not get into our situation with them. It just wouldnât be right.â
âI know, I know,â Joanne said, her voice failing to mask her pain. âYouâre right. Weâve just waited so long . . . .â
The conversation ended and Rick went inside. After a few wrong turns in the halls of the hospital, he finally caught up with Mike. Mike stood outside the newborn window, gazing quietly at a tiny bundle on the other side of the glass, wrapped in a blue blanket. Rick walked up beside him and admired the little boy.
Both men, caught up in private thoughts, watched silently for a moment. This time, it was Rick who spoke first. âHeâs a beautiful baby.â And he was. Mike responded with a nod.
âAnd look at his hand. Isnât it cool?â Mike pointed at the infantâs left hand. And there, between the thumb and the forefinger, Rick saw an unmistakable birthmark. Immediately, he understood what Mike was talking about.
âThe nurse told me about it, and when I saw it, I knew she was right,â Mike said. âIt looks just like . . .â he didnât get a chance to finish before Rick jumped in.
âA baseball,â Rick said with a chuckle. âYou can almost see the seams in that little hand. Itâs amazing.â
âHeâs going to be a ballplayer I guess,â Mike said quietly.
âThat must be his pitching hand,â Rick said with a smile.
Mike grew silent again. A minute, maybe two, passed.
âIâll be back in a little while,â Mike explained. âWill you stay?â
Rick said he would, and Mike was gone in a hurry.
A gift offered
Rick sat in the waiting area reading a sports magazine while he waited. He glanced at a clock on the wall. After a half hour passed, Mike was back, walking straight up to Rick and giving him a hopeful, yet piercing stare.
âYou said you didnât have any kids, right?â
Rick started to get an idea of where this was going.
âAnd since it hasnât worked out for you, me and Saraâthatâs my girlfriendâwe want you to have this baby.â
Rick simply stared back, not knowing what to say.
âGod does things for a reason doesnât He? And He put me in your car. We think itâs what weâre supposed to do.â
Rick looked in Mikeâs eyes and saw nothing but honesty and conviction. A surge of elation quickened his pulse. He thought of Joanne, and all of the years of waiting. He thought of calling his attorney and getting the process moving immediately, before any minds changed.
Rick could drive home through the snow, get Joanne and be back by mid-morning. As soon as the adrenaline began to flow however, Rick was struck with a sense that he needed to slow the pace.
âWe canât do that,â he said without conviction. âYou two made your plans already. Someone is probably waiting by the phone to hear about your baby boy.â
âWe can change it,â Mike said. âThey said whoever got picked wouldnât even know until we sign everything. And the adoption people said we could change our minds.
Thatâs what weâre gonna do. Itâs okay.â
Rick thought about Joanne and the long wait they had endured together. And now, it could be over. âGive me a few minutes, okay?â
A gift given
The kid had no problem with that, and Rick called Joanne. Something kept gnawing at Rick as he went to the phone, but he dismissed any thoughts. God had worked the whole thing out, hadnât He?
During the phone call with Joanne however, the uncomfortable feeling returned. Their miracle would be anotherâs loss. They both knew it. Tears flowed as they came to their decision. Rick had to tell Mike.
He found him still in the waiting room, with a smile on his face. It was difficult for Rick to look him in the eye, but finally, he did.
âWe just canât do it,â Rick said, dropping the truth like a hammer. âBelieve me; we want to with all of our hearts. We really do. But if we say yes, another couple is going to be disappointed, even if they donât realize it.â
Rick continued as the emotions began to well up in his voice. âYour offer . . .â Rick paused and tried to compose himself. âIt was the greatest Christmas present we could hope for, and Iâm not saying ânoâ because of you.â Rick finished as a tear rolled down his cheek. The kid looked like he was about to cry as well.
âBut youâor I guess the agencyâhas already chosen the couple they believed God has for your boy. Weâd better not change things at this point. Our day will come.â
With that, Rick thanked the kid again and turned toward the elevator. He knew he had to move quickly. He wouldnât hold up much longer. Rick shuffled out into the parking lot with his head down, got in his car and found a hotel a block away. He hardly slept.
The next morning the roads cleared and Rick headed home to Barrier Cliff. Though hardly jovial, Rick still felt a small sense of joy as he drove into his neighborhood. The day before, he had spent his time dwelling on the missing pieces of his life. Today, he was reminded that he had given the gift of a son to a couple he would likely never know. Though he and Joanne would continue to wait for a child, he would remember this Christmas for a long time. A reminder of what Christmas is all about, Rick thought.
A reminder of the gift given
The few remaining days before Christmas passed without Rick and Joanne talking much more about Mike or the baby. There were things to do, and they were heading to Joanneâs parents this yearâtomorrowâon Christmas Eve.
Joanne was running down her list of things to do before leaving town. âDid you get the mail today, Rick?â On the list was the need to pay bills before the end of the year, hence the needed trip to the mailbox.
âNaw, but Iâll get it,â Rick said. Rick eased down the icy driveway, watching his step. A sigh of relief went through him when he pulled out a stack of letters and saw no bills. There was however, a letter from Home Again Restaurants.
The envelope was thin, which rarely meant good news. Rick opened it, expecting the standard two-paragraph rejection. Instead, he saw two pages of correspondence.
The first sentence was all he needed to see: âCongratulations, Mr. Shannon. We look forward to partnering with you as we roll out our new advertising campaign.â From there, Home Againâs vice president followed with an announcement that their advertising buy would be 45% higher than earlier estimates. Rickâs idea had carried the day.
âYes!â Rick barked as he pumped his armâtrying to keep his balance as he raced up the driveway toward the front door.
âChristmas is here!â Rick yelled as he came in the door.
âGreat!â Joanne said, not understanding Rickâs excitement. âPhone is for you, Santa Claus.â
Rick picked up the phone, handing Joanne the letter. He gave her a thumbs-up sign as he said a quick âhelloâ into the receiver.
âMr. Shannon?â
âYes,â Rick replied as he attempted to catch his breath.
âThat must have been Joanne. I could have told her,â the voice at the other end explained. âThis is Paul Jensen from the Hope Adoption Agency, and we have a small Christmas present for you.â
Rickâs heart skipped a beat, or maybe more as Mr. Jensen kept talking. âHeâs eight pounds, four ounces. You can come and pick him up here tomorrow, just in time for Christmas.â
Rick was nearly speechless, trying valiantly to put words together. âYes . . . SureâWe . . .â
âWell, the baby was born last week and we were able to move things more quickly than we thought,â Mr. Jensen said. âHeâs a cute boy. And I remember from the biographical information you turned in that you said something about being a baseball fan. You wonât believe this babyâs birthmark . . . .â
by Sarah Saccone, Program Director, Lamb of God Maternity Home
So much has changed in the past 30 years with regards to adoption, especially as it relates to maternity homes.
In past decades, a woman would disappear to a maternity home cloaked in all of the shame of being pregnant out of wedlock. She would then re-enter her community, carrying a huge secret, and in many cases not even knowing into what family her baby was placed.
Although things today are completely different there are still misconceptions from some of our biggest family influences and in the media.
There is a great deal of confusion between private adoptions and foster care. Also, many beliefs that are deeply rooted in families that play a crucial role in what a woman in crisis knows and feels about adoption.
In today's society, pregnancy out of wedlock has become the norm. We as pro-lifers know that life is ALWAYS better than death and strive to work with women to aid them in making the best decisions for their babies and themselves. Sometimes women feel that the best form of parenting they can give, is to lovingly choose an eager couple to take on the job. It is OUR job as maternity home leaders to make absolutely certain that a woman making the courageous decision to place her baby is comfortable, supported, and well informed in our maternity homes. We have found that this can be a tricky task.
There is so much that goes into finding the perfect balance of honoring women who choose to parent and honoring women who choose to place. Below are ten ideas on how to make your maternity home more friendly to women who are making the decision to place their babies for adoption.
Sarah Saccone serves as the full-time Program Director for Lamb of God Maternity Home, daily giving witness to her passion for women in crisis pregnancy through the gift of adoption.Utilizing her Bachelor degree in Sociology from California State University of San Marcos, she worked as a counselor of homeless youth in a shelter-home atmosphere for nine years. She has served on the boards of several mental health non-profit organizations, been a long time volunteer for San Diego Hospice, and spent time teaching children in East Africa. She resides in San Diego, California.
by Ellen Foell, Esq., International Program Specialist
I was preoccupied and never noticed the stop sign at the intersection when I breezed through it. My newly licensed teenager could not resist the temptation: "Uh, Mom, that was a stop sign and it applied to you."
Jamming on the brakes, I stopped a hundred feet into the intersection (as if that would have done any good). My heart was racing in spite of the fact that there were no other cars coming; it had thankfully not been a near miss. I was perplexed that, in my inattention, I had completely failed to notice the intersection or pay attention to the stop sign that applied to me.
Since then, I am twice as careful to not only stop at intersections, but to linger (to the annoyance of my children). I look up the street, down the street, behind me, before me, and beside me, determined to never again go through one without paying attention to the stop signs. One never knows what might be coming.
I tend to do the same thing -- go through the stop signs without noticing the intersection -- in my spiritual life. Thankfully, that's usually when the Holy Spirit says to me, without as much sarcasm as my children: "Um, that was a stop sign, and it applied to you."
These intersections, are as important, if not more so, than the physical intersection I cruised through. And the most significant intersections are where despair and faith meet. Sometimes, I have the wisdom to see that it is an intersection, and as I approach, I stop, looking in all four directions. At other times, I've already rolled through the intersection, and it's not until one, two or three hundred feet past the stop sign that I realize that, not only was that an intersection, but it applied to me. That is typically a holy moment... when despair and faith intersect.
Learning to Watch in the Intersection
Many years ago, my husband and I struggled with secondary infertility, unable to conceive again for four years following the birth of our daughter. We made frequent visits to the obstetrician's office, and eventually decided it was time to visit an infertility expert. There had been too many cycles of hope and despair, too many cycles of expectation and disappointment, and not one cycle that had ended in pregnancy. We would cycle through more disappointment as we waited for our appointment on Oct. 10, 1997.
The night before my appointment, my husband kindly asked if I wanted him to join me for the appointment. Being a strong, self-sufficient woman, I pooh-poohed the idea and told him he should go ahead and go to work. I could handle whatever the infertility doctor could throw my way.
As soon as I walked into the office, I sensed I was in trouble. It may have been the rapid heartbeat, or the tears forming as I walked down the hallway, eyeing the happy pictures of the success stories all along the walls. Somewhere along the 45-minute drive to this office, I had morphed from a hopeful and confident woman to a woman afraid and sad that our happy family picture would never grace the doctor's office walls.
The visit took all of 30 minutes. It just seemed wrong that, after waiting and trying and hoping and praying for four years, our future could be assessed in half an hour. The gentle, warm, and gracious smile, giving me the solution to our four years of heartache was actually a somewhat cold and matter of fact: "Well, I would recommend that you pursue adoption."
No further tests necessary. No diagnosis. No smile. No gentleness. No reassuring hand on my shoulder. No further wisdom. The expert clearly had nothing to offer to salve my heart, let alone cure the infertility, so I left.
Through tears I found my car and stood there, pounding on the hood of the car, thinking, "Where is Phil when I need him?!" I was angry with my husband, angry with myself for telling him not to come and go to work, angry with God that He was nowhere in sight -- and I had not even told Him to go to work!
I leaned against the hood of the car, knowing I had no other choice but to further lean on God. At the moment, I hated having nothing else to lean into. My trust and faith in Him at that moment was more an act of desperation than a joyful surrender. To whom else could I go?
To Faith from Despair
It was not long thereafter that we started the process of adoption, although we had a mere 53 cents to invest in the long and expensive process. We had already been told at the county that the likelihood of our being successful candidates through the county adoption process were nil. Again, no warm gentle understanding smile or explanation.
And so we began our journey of international adoption. We settled upon an adoption agency and began the home study. Our only country selection parameter was that it could not be Thailand, since I had lived in Thailand for two years and had frequently seen couples staying at the guest house, hearing their stories of waiting years for the adoption process -- rife with obstacles and delays -- to finalize.
Then came the day in January that Phil and I came to an intersection.
We received a call and an email from two different people. Phil was checking the email on our third floor computer while I was in the kitchen checking phone messages. The phone message was from friends who had heard of our desire to adopt and wanted to fund the adoption, start to finish. The email was from a friend in Thailand who knew of twin boys needing an adoptive home.
We were each receiving these pieces of incredible news alone and ran to tell the other, meeting at the landing. Had we not come to the intersection of that offer of funding and children needing a home, I don't know that we would have ever considered Thailand as a country from which to adopt.
This was one of those intersections with a stop sign that we knew applied to us. We had to stop, take notice, look up, look down, look ahead and behind. God was up to something. We could pursue this and ditch our original route with its parameter of avoiding Thailand, or we could take a new direction. We chose the new direction.
Again, we ran into disappointment. Tests run on the boys showed that one was HIV positive and the other twin was HIV negative. We did not want to separate the brothers. We could not fathom the heartache of our family to adopt a son and then lose him to AIDS. We brokenly said "no."
Where was God headed with this? Only a few weeks later, our friend emailed with a request that we prayerfully consider another set of twin boys. Our prayerful consideration was short but an enthusiastic, "Yes!"
Ten thousand miles past the intersection and eight months later, we flew to Thailand to pick up our sons from the orphanage. Few words can describe the intense wall of heat that greets a traveler stepping onto the tarmac in Bangkok. It didn't matter. The plane ride was an excruciating twenty-seven hours. It didn't matter. The airplane food was...well, airplane food. It didn't matter. Our body clocks were twelve hours behind. It didn't matter. The adoption review board interviewed us with our entire life story spread out before them. It didn't matter.
They approved us as an adoptive family. Two days later, we celebrated our sons' first birthday, Oct. 10, 1998. We have celebrated many thankful birthdays since then.
But I like to remember their true birth-day, the day they arrived into this world. The day that I leaned against the hood of the car, sobbing in the doctor's parking lot, feeling the pain of aloneness and hopelessness, wondering where the Lord was. How could I have known, then, at that intersection of despair and faith, that, indeed, He was present and at work? At that moment, 10,000 miles away, on Oct. 10, 1997, Thailand time, and 12 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time, my God had already delivered my sons into the world.
Even now, years after I sailed through the intersection, I still slam on the brakes, my heart races and I marvel that, indeed, God is always at the intersection of despair and faith. And the stop sign applies to me. I never know what's coming.
In 1944, Marguerite Bonnema received the shock of her life.
To her surprise, a little neighbor girl revealed her father's strong dislike of his wife's illegitimate baby girl. "He is going to kill [the baby]," the little girl said. Marguerite replied, "Tell him not to kill her but to give her to me."
Arrangements were made - in a hurry. The neighbor mother and baby girl traveled by bus to a train station, where Marguerite and her friend and roommate Mary DeBoer received the child to live with them in their small apartment.
Since then, Bethany Christian Services has been following in these two co-founders' steps, demonstrating the love and compassion of Jesus Christ to expectant parents who are facing an unplanned pregnancy and need help. Our goal is to help them explore their life-affirming options and then help them pursue the plan they decide is best for themselves and their babyâwhether that is parenting or adoption.
As a Heartbeat International partner, it is our desire to share our pregnancy counseling resources with those who are ministering to expectant parents in resource centers across the U.S.
Our full range of informational resources include brochures, books, DVDs, and educational webinars (some available in Spanish). As a resource to clients, our Lifeline staff is also available to chat online or by phone at 1.800.238.4269. We want to work with you to help bring hope, information, and services to expectant parents in crisisâmeeting them anytime and anywhere.
For more information or to order any resources, please visit Bethany.org/Store.
Book by Colleen D.C. Marquez
This delightful story tells of an apple tree who is unable to bear fruit of her ownâshe is saddened as she watches the other trees in the apple orchard bear fruit of their own.
The wise farmer finds a way to help Little Tree not only bear fruit, but eventually become a very beautiful tree in the orchard.
Adoptive parents, as well as those considering adoption for the first time will find the story of Little Tree very inspiring. The book is a parable about adoption and illustrates so beautifully the heart of God for adoption.
By Brittany Hudson, Founder of 4TheLoveofAlex.org
I sat in a cramped, overstuffed nurseâs office with clammy hands as we went over the information in front of her.
I had discovered two months earlier that I was pregnant, but when excessive bleeding and cramping sent me to the emergency room, I was hoping that I had somehow avoided an unintended pregnancy. I was referred to my doctor for a follow-up and an ultrasound the next day.
The simple test revealed a fluttering heartbeat and what seemed to be a very healthy little life resting in my womb. My doctor smiled at the monitor as I cried. I really didnât want to go through this.
I was still swimming in grief over the loss of my husband just 10 short months earlier. My lapse in judgment over seeking comfort in the arms of another man turned into the trial of my life within the trial of my life. How could this be happening?
My doctor scheduled another appointment for me to meet with his nurse to go over my options. The time between visits gave me time to think it through.
She sat there and consoled me as I cried. When I rallied, she started talking. âAre you going to keep your baby or are you going to terminate the pregnancy?â
My mind spun with her statement. How could the same thing change terminology within the same sentence, simply depending on my âchoiceâ? How did a baby become something that I could just dispose of?
I wish I was a fly on the wall for what came next. âNo, I am seeking adoption for this child.â I said, looking down at her paperwork. I watched her face go chalky as she drummed her fingers on the desk. She slowly turned her chair around to the rack of information behind her, knowing she didnât have anything to offer me. Her sighing told me what I already knew. I was on my own.
âI donât know what to tell you. I donât have anything for you to take. I have never been in this situation before. Why donât you go on the internet and see if you can find an agency in the area.â Her nervousness came through her voice as she tried to avoid direct eye contact with me. I left her office after a few exchanges and a follow-up appointment scheduled.
I left with nothing but a card with a date on it.
The internet seemed daunting. Who was reputable? Who was in my area? I didnât know anyone who had gone through this before. Could I trust an agency? What if they wanted to make me sign something right away? What are my rights?
I found a site and read what they had to say, but I then discovered I was at least 14 hours from their nearest location. They referred me to Bethany Christian Services, where I called and left a message for someone to return my calls. I then prayed to God that I wouldnât be lied to or talked into something I wasnât ready for.
Facing the fact that I was pregnant was hard enough. Even though I knew what I wanted to do, I also know that it would have made a world of difference to have someone who knew me come alongside to tell me about what Iâd decided before I had to launch headlong into a dialogue with an adoption agency.
I wished the nurse had known as much about choosing to parent and parenting through adoption as she had about abortion. It would have eased my mind and helped curb my fears.
My adoption went just fine. In fact, it went as well as I could have hoped, even though it was very difficult to go through.
The things Iâve learned for myself, and the experiences I went through have come together to form a ministry for the woman who chooses adoption for her unborn child. I give these women what I wished I hadâa listening ear, independent guidance, direction, and the very real hope of restoration in Christ in the midst of an unintended pregnancy.
The women Iâve mentored so far have all come from agencies who see the value in coupling an expectant mother with a birthmother who has lived the experience of an unintended pregnancy for herself.
There is peace in being able to relate to someone and help them see there is a life after the trial. It is my joy to see that God uses the most painful things in life to create something beautiful. And He does so wonderfully.
by Ellen Foell, Heartbeat International Legal Counsel
For years, our children begged us to add a dog to the mix of our already busy family. Finally, when our twin sons were 11 years old, we relented and welcomed Gabby to our family.
When we picked her out at the animal shelter, Gabby was still a puppyâactive, untrained, mischievous, and always hungry. It had only been about three weeks since we brought her home, when that puppy energy and our busy family life collided.
Before we left to spend the evening at the local zoo, I planned ahead and put a 12-quart pot of beef vegetable soup on the stoveâout of harmâs reach, of courseâon the back burner where Gabby couldnât reach it. Everything was going according to plan, as we came home, ate dinner, and the boys headed upstairs to get ready for bed.
The situation went south, however, when I was interrupted from cleanup detail by two boys needing tucked into bed. Without thinking to put the soup back to its proper location on the back of the stove, I answered the summons. But no sooner had I entered their room, than the three of us heard a loud crash and an unmistakable yelp!
We arrived on the scene to see Gabby, standing in the middle of the kitchen floor, lapping up beef vegetable soup as quickly as she could. There was soup everywhereâon the cabinets, under the refrigeratorâsome had already spread to the living room carpet. It was a nightmare.
To make matters worse, I instinctively scolded the dog, which caused her to lie downâright into the soup. My follow-up rebuke led to the next mishap, as she stood back up and shook her entire body, flinging soup into every conceivable nook and cranny that hadnât already been tainted by the initial spill.
Since the entire mess was really their fault (they had asked for the dog, right?), I yelled at my sons, âGo straight upstairs to bed!â Paul pitifully asked, âMama, you arenât going to send Gabby back, are you? Iâll help clean up the mess, Mama. Donât send her back.â One withering look from his frustrated mother was all Paul needed to dutifully trot off to bed.
Instantly, I felt terrible.
And so, in the wake of this disaster, I found myself gingerly navigating my way through a soggy bog of soup and upstairs to my boysâ room to apologize to them, reassuring them of my love and care for them. At the same time, I had to ease their concerns about Gabby, who they now assumed was on her way back to the shelter.
I said, âBoys, you need to know that Gabby is part of our family now, and just because she does naughty things, it doesnât mean we are going to send her back. Things donât work that way when youâre a family.â
As I soon found out, I was totally unprepared for my sonsâ reactions. Sam reminded me that Iâd signed a contract with the animal shelter, so of course I wouldnât take Gabby back. True enough, I supposed. But Paul nearly broke my heart when he piggy-backed on Samâs appeal:
âYeah, just like you signed a contract with the adoption agency in Thailand that promised you would take care of us and keep us even when we do naughty things.â
In that moment, I was struck with just how sad and pathetic it would be if all that held us together was some kind of paper-and-ink contract, signed many years before.
Still trying to take all this in, I answered, âBoys, a contract is not what makes us a family. Love makes us a familyâGodâs love, and the fact that God has chosen us for one another.â
In that moment, I wanted to convey a sense of security, a sense of belonging, a sense of familyâeven a sense of uniqueness in having been chosen and adopted that far out-weighs any sin, imperfection or mistake. My family is not my family because of paperwork, contractual agreement or any other impersonal force. My family is my family because we love each other.
And isn't that what our Heavenly Father has been trying to teach us all along? His acceptance of us, His children by faith in Christ, is based on His love, and His love alone. Just like my love for my children, Godâs choice of us is no mere contract, or impersonal set of paperwork. Itâs deep, personal, and realâeven to the point where âthe Word became flesh and dwelt among us.â
By taking on flesh and dwelling with usâand by dying in our place and defeating death for usâJesus identifies with us in such a deep, personal way that Hebrews 2:11 says, âHe is not ashamed to call us brothers.â In other words, weâre family, and since we are, we have no need to appeal to contracts, paperwork, or performance.
Our status as Godâs family, His sons and daughters, is infinitely secure because itâs based on the love of the God who always makes good on His promises. This faithful God is the God who is eternal, infinite, all-powerful, and extravagantly near.
Each one of our childrenâthree adopted and one birth childâwas placed into our family by God Himself, and we are constantly affirming each one with the words, âYou are ours. God has chosen you for us and us for you.â
In the same way, I hear my Heavenly Father say, âYou are mine. Nothing changes that. I have chosen you. You have been adopted as my daughter, and I love you.
âEven when you spill the soup.â
Each year, November is recognized as National Adoption Awareness Month. While all adoption-related issues are important, the particular focus of this month is the adoption of children currently in foster care.
The first major effort to promote awareness of the need for adoptive families for children in the foster care system came in 1976, when Massachusetts governor Mike Dukakis initiated Adoption Week, an idea that grew in popularity and spread throughout the nation.
President Gerald Ford later made the first National Adoption Week proclamation, and in 1990, the week was expanded to a month due to the number of states participating and the number of events celebrating and promoting adoption.
During the month, states, communities, public and private organizations, businesses, families, and individuals celebrate adoption as a positive way to build families. Activities and observances across the nation, such as recognition dinners, public awareness and recruitment campaigns, and special events shed light on children who are in need of permanent families.
The month also includes National Adoption Day, traditionally a Saturday, which is observed in courthouses across the nation, where thousands of adoptions are finalized simultaneously.
Even in non-election years, elected officials at all levels are supportive of efforts to build adoption awareness. Both current officials and candidates should be receptive to invitations to participate in events with family appeal.
November is the perfect opportunity to make sure adoption is easy to talk about at your organization. One way is to order a subscription for one of Heartbeat's recorded webinars. Effectively Presenting Adoption to Every Client is a great resource for approaching the topic of adoption, and Parenting Choices complements The LOVE Approach Training Manual well while specifically addressing adoption. This kind of training is critical because, as Brittany's testimony makes clear, A Compassionate, Informed Counselor Makes the Difference in adoption.
Building a Culture of Adoption: It Starts at Home holds some practical tips for discussing adoption in a Maternity Home setting as well as our Cultivating a Culture of Adoption webinar.
We encourage you to embrace National Adoption Awareness Month and serve as champions of adoption every day!