Written by Bob Foust, Executive Director, Sav-A-Life Shelby
The couple had been married for 12 years. The Doctors said they would never conceive nor birth a child. The man was a pastor of a struggling church and many adoption agencies would not even accept an application. He wondered why there were not any babies to adopt? He knew abortions had increased but could this be the reason? The couple discovered that over 2 million couples in America were waiting to adopt. They also learned that at the time in 1983, there were over 1.5 million abortions performed.
Why isn’t adoption a viable alternative in many young women’s mind? A survey found that: 1) People don’t know the real facts about adoption; 2) Peer pressure from a friend and their family discourage the young woman; 3) The media portrays adoption as a negative choice; 4) There is an emotional attachment between the mother and baby while we have been conditioned to use negative language when referring to adoption. How many times have you heard some well meaning Christian say “I could never give my baby up for adoption”?
As believers in Christ, we are adopted into the family of God. Moses was adopted; in a real sense didn’t Joseph adopt Jesus? Today there are great examples of adoption. Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy’s was adopted. Steve Jobs, founder of Apple Computers and so was singer songwriter Faith Hill, just to name a few.
One birth mother explains that she will always miss and love her son but she knows that he is meant to be with very wonderful parents. She wouldn’t ask for anything different. She is so glad that God put him in the arms of such loving people. She is thankful being taught the meaning of love.
A young couple expresses that they are thankful that a brave birth mother chose life and adoption as her decision. Now they have a wonderful daughter and a brother who was later adopted at five-years-old. Both are now grown adults.
Pray for the client advocates at the Pregnancy Resource Center in Pelham in Shelby County as they seek to counsel women and their partners. Pray that the advocates impress upon them the importance of prayerfully consider adoption as an option to abortion.
