Today I participated in the Walk for Life – West Coast in San Francisco to speak for those who cannot speak, to walk for those who cannot walk; to pray for, fight for, stand up for, and love the life of every unborn child!
Today in the year 1973 the landmark decision known as Roe V Wade was handed down by the Supreme Court legalizing abortion in our country resulting in millions of babies being destroyed.
Today is Christiana’s Adoption Day…last year this very day we stood in a courtroom here in San Joaquin County and with a raised hand committed to love our adopted child and give her the same rights and inheritance as our birth children. The gavel fell and she became officially our child. (in our hearts she was already completely ours)
Everyone who knows me well will tell you that I am passionate about the lives of the unborn. It sickens and saddens me that we allow them to be torn apart and thrown away without even being given the chance at life. It angers me that many women are also the victims of abortion as they are not given the facts about the life growing inside of them and that they are duped into believing that it would be better to destroy the baby than to either parent her or if unable to do that then to place him into the arms of a family willing to love and raise the child. It makes me cry when I look into the face of my own innocent little one, sleeping so peacefully, safe & secure next to her Mommy and knowing that today thousands of babies will never get a chance to sleep in their Momma’s arms, giggle uncontrollably, sing & dance, explore the world and grow up to become anything they desire, find love, experience joy and glorify God. The tears flow when I think of the great loss for those mothers & fathers as well as the rest of the world.
Today I am also in complete awe that the God of this universe cared enough through His divine providential hand to coordinate so many special blessings for me with our own adoption experience:
- We could have adopted a child through a multitude of agencies. We had not seriously looked into any in particular when we got the call from a former student and dear friend who had moved thousands of miles away from California to Tennessee. She excitedly shared with me that there was an agency speaking at her MOPS (Mothers of pre-schoolers meeting) that morning about the need for adoptive families and she thought of us. Within minutes I was on the phone with the agency getting all the information needed. To my great joy & surprise this adoption agency was a crisis pregnancy center! Yes, that is right…the agency that the Lord led us to was committed to counseling women and helping them overcome obstacles so they would chose life for their child. They even have all prospective adopting families sign an affidavit proclaiming that they are pro-life! It was as if God just kissed my forward and said “Here Beth, I know how committed you are the pro life cause…letting you adopt through this agency is an extra gift for you!” It couldn’t get any better than that for me…..but it did….
- You see our sweet baby’s birthmom was abortion vulnerable. She was young and facing some serious life challenges. The easy thing for her would have been to have an abortion and end her child’s life. She would have had folks supporting her decision and she would have temporarily “solved” her problems and yet she chose life. She chose to not destroy the baby she knew she could not take care of or raise but instead gave her the greatest gift…a chance to live life. She then chose to place her baby in the loving arms of parents and a family who would love, cherish and nurture that baby as their very own. To have my first adopted child be “saved” from abortion…well it just couldn’t get any better than that…and yet…
- God gave me yet another amazing gift! Our adoption paperwork was filed with the state of California in November 2009, six months to the day after we brought her home. Our social worker told us that there was a chance that we could finalize before the year’s end or at the latest the first week of January. As I anxiously awaited word of our court date I hoped that it would happen before mid January as my eldest daughter would be home from college and could be a part of the ceremony. I was so disappointed when the time came and went with no word on our court date. The day after Michelle went back to school I received the much desired mail from the San Joaquin Superior Court with our court date. I tore open the envelope and gasped as I saw the date appointed for her to be officially adopted…January 22…the anniversary of what I see as one of the saddest days in our nation’s history, the day we sentenced millions of babies to death. I sat down at my kitchen table, shaking my head and smiling at God’s goodness to me. He took a day that grieves my heart and He redeemed it for me by allowing my precious child who could have been legally killed in our country, yet whose mother chose not to abort her but to give her life, to be adopted into our forever family on that very day.
For me…it couldn’t get any better than that!
Inspire Ministries 
Thank you.
Truly beautiful.
As always, you make so much sense. I was one of the lucky ones that was adopted. God bless you and your family for all of your goodness.