[Jody M]

As an adoptee and adoption triad support group leader in Illinois I was again invited to participate in a local prayer service Monday evening for Sanctity of Life week honored by many Christian churches and parishes in this nation. I along with 12 other clergy lead the service with prayers, testimonies and songs that honored life and adoption. I gave my adoption testimony and represented my local adoption support group in suburban Chicagoland.
To begin the prayer service all the little children in attendance brought 43 beautiful roses up to the altar of the church - representing 43 million abortions. It was a powerful witness and very sobering to me, an adoptee.
I was born in 1955 to a birth mother with cancer and a communicable disease- her health was in jeopardy, she was 32 years of age and married. My birth father was 50 years of age at the time of my birth and he and my birth mom struggled with alcoholism, a rocky marriage, and poverty. I was my birth father's 9th child by 2 marriages. His first wife died and his other older children all lived with relatives or foster care. My birth parents had EVERY reason to abort and were not religious or church going persons. But LIFE was the law in 1955 and I am thankful and grateful that I was given the precious gift of life and adoption! I know that had I been conceived today, with my mother's very fragile condition and all the things my birth parents were up against, I would too have been a victim of abortion. My heart aches for the unborn babes who had no voice or no one to advocate for their worthiness to be born and experience life and all its fullness. Are you adopted or touched by adoption? Have you ever pondered that you are alive today because someone chose LIFE and or adoption for you!
I honor all the birth parents who took the path less traveled and gave the gift of LIFE and ADOPTION. I am praying today for God's blessing on your life and for peace!
Jody M, proud to be an adoptee, and overflowing with gratitude for LIFE and ADOPTION!

[PastorStephanie]

Jody, that sounds like such a beautiful celebration of life and a sobering reminder of the truth!

As an adoptee, looking over the anniversery of Roe V. Wade, I am reminded of the CHOICE my mother made. She was a young single mother of a toddler when she concieved me... abortion was a legal option in 1978... In fact she had an appointment at an abortion clinic at the end of her first tri-mester. She had been raised in an extremely religious family and believed that abortion was wrong but did not see any other way out.

She went to the appointment and climbed up on the table, with me inside her. She had every intention of having the abortion because she felt so trapped by her circumstances... but she did not go through with it that day. (You can read the whole story of that day under She Chose Adoption, the thread called Spoiled by love from every side).

I thank God that my mom chose life for me that day... that she was courageous enough to walk out of an abortion clinic with life still inside her.

[Jody M]

Oh Stephanie, how beautiful. The Lord protected you and nudged your birth mom to choose LIFE. Just think how close we were to not being alive and living in this world!
I have navigated adoption triad support groups for 12 years and heard countless stories by adoptees- hundreds of them. There truly is a place to share our unresolved grief and loss issues from adoption and find healing. But often we take for granted the fact that we were given LIFE in these crisis circumstances . And many unborn babes in these situations never get that opportunity and few people advocate for them. We need to be a voice for the unborn, for what better spokespersons than adoptees, who were given life and have gratitude for that. I encourage all adoptees to ponder the BIG PICTURE and today praise God and honor their birth mothers for giving them the precious gift of Life. And then to share their testimonies boldy, to many, so the option of adoption of adoption in crisis pregnancies becomes the growing choice.
Thanks Stephanie for sharing!
Blessings, Jody

[thanksgivingmom]

this thread hits a cord with me...i cant honestly say that before i was pregnant i was against abortion. i could only imagine the horror that a woman (or girl) would experience if she found herself pregnant by rape or incest. then i became pregnant and didnt know what to do...i would be lying if i said i didnt consider abortion, but when it got right down to it, i couldnt do it.

i often worry about the pain my daughter may carry when she grows older because of her placement, i only want whats best for her.

i would have liked to see that ceremony

[Jody M]

Thanksgiving mom, You are so precious and gave your daughter EVERYTHING when you gave her Life and adoption. I am sending you a cyber hug! God takes the broken circumstances of life, our hurts and heartaches and empty places them and redeems, them, heals them and makes beauty from ashes. I love the bible verse in the book of Joel that says "I will redeem the years the locust ate away" and the most beautiful verse from Isaish 61:1-3 that gives HOPE to those who need healing.

1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; 3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

[PastorStephanie]

Thanksgiving Mom, I have been following the story of your through your posts since early December and must say that I have been impressed with your strength. Every adoptee resonds differently to their experiences as they come to terms with what it means to be adopted. When I read your recent post regarding your concerns about the pain your daughter may feel as she gets older, it touched my heart. I felt prompted to pray for her that she would expereince the love of God and have confidence in the decision that you made for her - out of love.

[Jody M]

Amen to Stephanie's post - Prayer is the most beautiful gift you can give your daughter Thanksgiving mom. "The sincere prayers of a righteous man availeth much!"
May God who hears your heartfelt prayers, touch your daughter's heart, bring her tenderness and flood you with His peace that passeth all understanding.
Blessings, Jody

[BrockBaby]

Thanksgiving,
You are a very strong person! It is so obvious to me that you love your little darling, and I am positive that she felt that love as well. I know that I have never felt anything but love from my bmom, and I believe it is because what she did was out of love, the same as you!
You are such a great pal!!! I enjoy our talks!
Aly

[shef]

Thanksgiving......If I may say something to you.....as someone who was also placed in another family......like your daughter.....I want you to know that the prayers for her and seeds sown through those prayers will yield such fruit.....for I can honestly say.....that I have pushed through the pain and come to a place where I can now truly say....I thank God and honour my mother for bringing me to birth.....after 3 attempted abortions out of desperation, she finally found the courage to get me to life......that is no small feat at all...and something I stand to honour and applaud, and to all of you bmothers......do not be afraid for her.....God will help her like he has helped me.

shefalie

[Jody M]

Shef- thanks so much for sharing your beautiful testimony of how God has worked to turn your feelings for your birth mom into ones of gratitude and honor - that is truly the work of the Lord. Life is such a beautiful choice and I also am SO SO grateful that my birth mom chose Life and adoption for me! Many unborn babes, 43 million since Roe vs Wade law, made abortion legal in this nation. I pray many adoptee and fostered adults will give praise to God for life and spread their testimonies of gratitude and praise for all the world to hear! Many women in crisis pregnancy do not know the truth of the beauty of that babe, that precious gift that the Lord created within them. Though in many crisis pregnancy circumstances, birth parents did not plan a child's birth, that child has a special sacred place and plan for LIFE and hope in the heart of our loving God.

Blessings Shef, Jody