Birth Moms!

I can't help it but today especially, on Mother's Day, think about the 5 birth moms of our adopted jewels, Sam's birth mom, as well as of birth moms everywhere.  It breaks my heart to think that they were not able to parent their kids.  In an ideal world, they SHOULD and WOULD have been able to be the forever mom to their child.

  I think about them as they held their babies, whether it was for a short time or a long time.  I can imagine both their pain and joy.  Regardless of the reasons surrounding those few hours or days, I think choosing to give your child LIFE is a hugely courageous, self-less, and inspiring act.

In today's culture where life is not valued, but instead the right to choose is; it would have been easy for any of my children's birth moms to CHOOSE not to give their baby life.  I am so THANKFUL that each one of them CHOOSE to give their baby LIFE, and in turn gave my (now) child LIFE.  I think about all of those babies aborted every year.  That could have been one of my children.

I think about them as they said goodbye to their baby, either entrusting her directly in our care, whether leaving them somewhere where they would be found, having her right to parent taken away, or whether it was taking her last breath here on earth knowing she would be leaving her precious baby without her protection, love or care.  I can only imagine the tears shed, the words whispered, and the prayers uttered. I wish I could tell each one of my children's birth moms how loved each one of their children is, that they are safe, and are not just surviving, but are instead thriving.  I wish I could tell them that God took care of their babies, and turned their heart break life situation (that should not never have happened) into something miraculous and life giving.

I wish I could tell them that we talk and think about them often.

I write a letter each year to one of our jewel's birth  mom.  Quite honestly while this jewel was little I didn't value it as much as I do now.  Now I realize the gift of being able to know that your child is loved, safe, and doing sooooooooooooooooooooo amazingly good well.  Now I realize the gift of being able to communicate how my daughter is a gift.

Some people have a hard time understanding how someone could give up a child.  I don't have a hard time understanding.  I have SEEN sooooooo much both here in the US and around the world, that makes me totally understand how someone can get to the point where they are either so broken, so overwhelmed, or so truly unable to care for the needs of their baby on every level.

I wish there were more programs out there that helped children stay with their birth moms (families);

* more education around special needs in the US and internationally

* more medical services and resources for special needs children and families internationally

* more programs aimed at helping families get out of poverty and create financial sustainability for themselves

*more medical programs aimed at decreasing the number of moms that die as a result of child birth internationally
*more focus internationally on preserving and protecting families

the list could go on and on ...

I am SO THANKFUL for our amazing medical resources, for the excess of educational resources here in the US, for the excess of comforts and conveniences of the US ... but honestly sometimes often times all the time it does not seem fair.  My heart and brain do not know what to do with this unfair reality.  I don't know where to file it ... so it stays at the surface of both my heart and brain.

So today I praise JESUS for the gift of each one of the birth moms represented in my family, as they gave the gift of life for each one of my five children and husband.  I also pray, that Jesus would take care of them just as He has of each one of their children.  I pray that one day we would meet them, at least on the other side of eternity.