The following story was written by Janet
Lynn Mitchell, a wife, mother,
author and inspirational speaker. Her Web site is www.JanetLynnMitchell.com.
She is the co-author of A
Special Kind of Love, For Those Who Love Children with Special Needs,
published by Broadman and Holman and Focus on the Family,
2004. Her story "The Day My Daughter Lost All Hope" also appeared here.
At Christmas
time, the title may misdirect you, but that is not the intention. On the other
hand,
the Child
of Hope, born in Bethlehem
is definitely
involved
in this story. Janet
Lynn Mitchell can
be reached by E-mail by clicking on her name. Used
by Permission.
"I have to give the baby back!" my friend Karen sobbed through the phone. "Our attorney just called. The birth mom can't go through with the adoption."
Instantly, tears filled my eyes and I sat stunned, not knowing what to say. My fingers clutched the receiver as I began to pray. "God, I ask that You strengthen Karen and Christopher"
"Janet, we're on our way to Orange County to return the baby. Can we meet you after we...?"
"Sure, I'll be waiting for you," I assured her. "And Karen, I'll call the prayer warriors!"
As soon as we hung up, I crumbled to the floor. I could feel my friends' pain deep within my own soul. For the past several years, my husband, Marty, and I, had walked with Karen and her husband, Christopher, through the journey of infertility. Yet, still no baby. Within time, we encouraged Christopher and Karen to consider adoption. We had adopted ourselves and understood its blessings.
My thoughts turned to Christopher and Karen on the road. Is Christopher okay to drive? I thought of Karen sitting in the back seat with her sweet son, stroking his face for the last few times. Quickly I picked myself up and found my telephone book. It was time for me to call the "prayer warriors." My fingers trembled as I dialed each one.
Just as we had done in the past, the "prayer warriors" would come together offering Karen and Christopher our love and support. It had not been quite a year since we had given them the "cradle of hope." With no baby in sight, six of us decided to believe for Christopher and Karen that God would answer the desires of their hearts—that they would become parents. Acting on our faith, we had all gone together and bought an oak cradle. We then took a permanent marking pen and each of us wrote a message of hope and love on the backside of the cradle.
The looks on their faces were unforgettable as they received our special gift. For months the cradle had sat empty in their bedroom—and now it would be empty again.
Christopher and Karen looked drained as they pulled up to the driveway where they were encircled by the "prayer warriors" and our spouses. Karen stepped out of the car and fell into my arms.
"Janet," she sobbed. "It took all of five minutes to end our dream. We kissed and hugged our son for the last time and lovingly left him in the arms of his birth mother. I begged her to take good care of him!" Catching her breath, she added, "I want you to know, I'm not mad at God. He must be planning something wonderful."
"You know," Christopher, wept, "all we can do it to trust God, because I just don't understand why. I love my son...now I have to believe that he is safe in God's hands."
A few nights later Karen called. Through her tears she spoke softly. "I want to thank you."
"For what?" I asked.
"For loving me and giving me hope. For being brave, and bold enough to give me a baby cradle when I had no baby. I want to thank you for believing in my dream."
"That's what friends are for," I whispered back.
The cradle of hope sat empty for the next three weeks. Then a miracle occurred.
"Janet," Karen shouted through the phone. "Another birth mother wants to meet us. She has already tried to parent..."
"You mean the baby's already born?" Goose bumps covered my entire body and my heart pounded as Karen shared the news.
Within days Christopher and Karen opened their hearts to love again and became parents of Matthew, a 5-week-old precious baby boy.
Today, Karen says, "I still shed tears when I think of our baby in the arms of his birth mother. Yet, now I know that God used Christopher and me to love and care for him while his birth mother pondered her ability to parent. I also know that during this same time, Matthew's birth mother tried to parent and realized how difficult that was for a 16-year-old.
Just as Karen proclaimed, "God had planned something wonderful and His timing was perfect!"
Christopher and Karen trusted God when they were blinded by tears and, once again, God filled the cradle of hope and gave my friends their dream.