The Making of Our Family: Part 1

Before the adoption of our son David, for nine years we were a couple that desperately wanted to become a family. It was very difficult as we saw friends and family welcome their precious babies and not know if we would welcome our own. After consulting a specialist who found no reason for our inability to have a child, we decided to pursue adoption.

Now you have to remember during this time courts were removing adopted children from the only homes they knew to place them with their birth families. So adoption was not a particularly popular decision. We put our trust in God and filled out the paperwork for a Christian agency in our area, then stuck it in a drawer. We had just moved and wanted to get settled first. However, unbeknownst to us, God had already begun our family, He just hadn't let us in on the secret.

At the same time a young mother of a five-year old daughter discovered that a night at a party had resulted in a new life. She had already had one abortion and had felt guilt and remorse over her actions (these were her words, not mine). She decided that she would not abort this child, however, those around her were making that decision very difficult. She and her daughter lived with her parents and they were not prepared to raise another child. Her friends felt that she should either have the baby and keep it or abort the child. She wanted to meet with someone in a none-pressure atmosphere where her questions could be answered.

Rich and I had earlier offered to open our home to a young woman in a crisis pregnancy, she later found that she wasn't pregnant and luckily re-examined her life and made some changes. We were now asked by one of Rich's co-workers to meet with her friend, a young mother who was now pregnant. We only met her in order to help her explore the options open to her. If she did want to keep the baby we would put her in touch with some of contacts that would allow her to keep her family together. She quickly explained that she had already decided to make an adoption plan for her baby—due to medical and emotional issues. During our first meeting, in January 1995, she explained that she didn't believe in teaching a child a religion. She felt that when a child turns 18 years old the child can decide what to believe. I, on the other hand, explained that was like letting a child decide what 1 plus 1 is. We believe there is an absolute—one God, the Creator of the universe. She left the house that night to explore her options....

Tomorrow I will continue the story

[The Making of Our Family: Part 1]
[The Making of Our Family: Part 2]
[The Making of Our Family: Part 3]