[Jody M]

As an adoptee growing up I was raised in a loving family that honored God and were faithful church attenders. I was thankful to be in a caring adoptive family and loved my adoptive parents. But not until I was an adult and pondered my adoption, did I see the evidences of God's hand on my adoption journey. I now see that God protected my life in the womb of my birth mom who was in fragile health with cancer and an addiction to alcohol. I was born healthy and whole 2 mos early which seems like a miracle- especially in the 1950's. I feel God's hand of safety on my life, that I was not aborted due to the risk put on my birth mother's life to deliver me.
God brought friends into my life that became very close and intimate friends who were also adoptees. When I was in high school I found out that my best friend Jodie was an adoptee when we shared our "secret" with each other at a sleepover party and realized we both were adopted.Though apart in distance we still send each other cards and e-mail each other.
After I got married and began a family my husband and I began attending a new church. I was asked to teach Sunday school to preschoolers and became very good friends with the team teacher Lee Ann I was placed with who was an adoptee. Our friendship grew and we enjoyed many years together before her death from cancer 5 years ago. When my husband's job location moved us from Illinois to Ohio it was a scarey and lonely move for me. I met some dear friends at the church we began attending. One of my closest friends I also found out was an adoptee. That was special to me. In another move for my husbands job to Indianapolis IN, I met another adoptee and we became close friends. We began an adoptee newsletter together and now she is an adoption author- Sherrie Eldridge. At the time I met Sherrie I discovered that there was a local adoption triad support group meeting at a local hospital near us. I began attending and found such close fellowship with other birth mothers, adult adoptees and adoptive parents. During this time I searched and found my birth family- 3 older birth sisters who never knew about me. I feel God lead me to attend the group to find emotional support and encouragement for my reunion journey. After attending and helping out with the group I was encouraged to become a co-leader of the group. My husband's job moved us again but this time back to Illinois "our home". Finding no adoption groups in the area, I prayed and felt God leading me to begin a local adoption support group. In September this group will have been meeting for 10 years and over 300 persons have come through our group at different times for short and extended times. Most meetings serve 8-10 attendees. I also published Adoption Blessings Journal, a free outreach faith-based publication for 9 issues that shared stories of faith, healing and encouragement by adoptees, birth parents and adoptive parents.
God has blessed my life through my adoption and friendships with others touched by adoption. My life has been enriched by serving those touched by adoption and encouraging them in their journeys. I believe God had a special plan to allow my adoption to be a stepping stone for ministry. I am now praying as my nest empties and all my sons become independent that I may find more ways to serve the adoption triad through possible employment,
service and education to those within and outside of the adoption world.
How have you seen God's fingerprints in your adoption journey?