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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Mother (as in maternal parent) (04/24/08)
“You understand, this will officially be a foster-home placement for now, even though the mother says she wants to give the baby up for adoption. Legally, we must wait for the mother to go through rehabilitation. Once she has completed the rehab program, then the law will recognize her competency to make such a decision.”

Lord, thank you for the opportunity to share the blessings given our family with this precious baby. Whatever time we have with her, let it strengthen her and build up her health so she will be able to withstand whatever the future brings.



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“I am pleased to tell you that her mother has remained in rehab. Now that she has successfully reached the half way mark, she will participate in supervised visitations with the baby. You will never come in contact with the mother. We will pick the baby up at your home, take her to the visitation site, allow the mother one hour with her daughter, then return the baby to your home.”

Dear Heavenly Father, my heart breaks that this mother never inquires concerning anything about this baby. I have tried to be open by sending notes to tell her of “firsts” the baby has accomplished, or “favorites” the child loves. I am not sure she ever even reads them. Lord, help me turn my fears over to you. I can’t imagine being a mother and not wanting to know my child’s favorite food, toy, or pastime. Lord, I pray that you touch this mother’s heart. Remove the self-centeredness of her addictions and replace it with a genuine protective love for this baby.



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“Well, boyfriend has moved back in, now that she has entered rehab. He never did do the drugs, so this may not be a bad thing. However, he is the baby’s father and he wants to keep the baby. I don’t know just what this will mean as far as your hopes of adoption. We’ll have to wait and see if she completes the rehab program or not, but I will tell you this, the court always leans toward giving the biological mother another chance.”

But, Lord, look how happy and healthy she has become over the past nine months. I can’t just turn her over to an environment where she will be at such risk. All that mother will have to do is use drugs or alcohol just once and it could cost this baby’s life. Please, God. Oh, please, God.



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“I wish we had more foster homes like yours. You’ve done a wonderful job, and performed an excellent community service which has provided a second chance for both mother and daughter.”

God, my heart is broken and my spirit is frail. Almighty God, all things are within your power and your authority. Grant me some sense of peace in this situation. And, Lord, if this mother is going to return to that life of abuse, then Lord, I ask that it happens quickly while this baby still has enough physical stamina to survive. And, Lord, if it be your Will, return this precious one back to our family. For it is in Jesus’ name, our only hope, I pray. Amen.







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seek FIND
The Bible for All People
The Contemporary English Version

I Kings 3:24b-27

A sword was brought, and Solomon ordered, “Cut the baby in half! That way each of you can have part of him.”

“Please don’t kill my son,” the baby’s mother screamed. “Your Majesty, I love him very much, but give him to her. Just don’t kill him.”

The other woman shouted, “Go ahead and cut him in half. Then neither of us will have the baby.”

Solomon said, “Don’t kill the baby.” Then he pointed to the first woman, “She is his real mother. Give the baby to her.”
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This article has been read 1056 times
Member Comments
Member
Date
Yvonne Blake 
05/02/08
Wow! What a simple, yet effective way of showing motherly love. The parallel style was VERY well done. You could feel the emotions of the foster mother so clearly.
**THIS SPARKLES**
Janice Cartwright
05/04/08
The format was very effective and the subject emotionally involving. I can't think of anything harder than having to give up a baby one has already grown to love and bonded deeply with. It surely does take a lot of agape love to want only what is best for another, even when it means pain for ourselves. Nicely done.
Sheri Gordon
05/06/08
You did an excellent job of showing the powerful emotions connected with being a foster parent. Your writing is very good. Nice job with the topic.
Joy Faire Stewart
05/06/08
Excellent writing showing the foster mother's love. Great job on topic.
Lyn Churchyard
05/06/08
What a beautiful but sad story. I love the foster mother's releasing of her fear and sadness to the Lord.

I wanted to see the family to retain custody of the baby they have grown to love so much.

Superb job on the topic and so very well written. Nicely linked to the Bible account of Solomon's wisdom too - well done.
LauraLee Shaw
05/06/08
What a moving way to approach the topic, and your format is extremely well put-together. This stirred up lots of emotions within me. Well done.
Myrna Noyes
05/06/08
This is a very well-written and creative approach to the topic! You did a nice job with both perspectives and showed the self-sacrificing nature of many foster parents.
Excellent work! :)
Willena Flewelling
05/06/08
Smooth, simple, uncluttered, yet so real. I feel for both the baby and the foster mom.
Jan Ackerson
05/06/08
Oh, so sad! The reader wants desperately for there to be a happy ending...excellent writing; I like the back-and-forth style.
Joanne Sher 
05/06/08
This truly moved me - excellent.
Debbie Wistrom
05/06/08
I love the prayers of the foster mom. Wonderful job with this tender topic. Keep writing!
Joshua Janoski
05/06/08
A former pastor of mine and his wife had two foster children, and they said it was excruciatingly painful to give them up. You captured the emotions of a foster mother very well in this.

I liked the format that you used, and the scriptures at the end worked perfectly for this. Though not the biological mother, the MC was in a sense the true mother because she was willing to give up the baby and trust in the Lord to take to care of the child, no matter what the final outcome was. I sure hope it was a happy ending.
Beckie Stewart
05/07/08
The emotion is well shown here. I cannot imagine going through this.
Sara Harricharan
05/07/08
You captured the motherly emotions very well here, especially through a foster mother. Very well done, I liked the touch of the prayers in italics. Nice touch! ^_^
Bill Obenauer
05/08/08
Marlene, great job with this story. This story signifies a great defect in our domestic adoption system. It is a defect so strong that it sends people overseas to pay $20,000 to adopt, as opposed to adopting with no cost here in America. Having been very close to adopting domestically in the past, this story hit home for me. I wish that I could be strong enough to open my home to a child in need without worrying about how I would be emotionally affecting if that child had to go back to a potentially dangerous situation. May God be with your friend who inspired this story.