The Big Picture

A few weeks ago we had a guest speaker at church. I did my usual thing and took my daughter downstairs midway through the service when she started getting antsy. Sometimes I nurse her and sometimes I don’t, depending on the morning. This particular morning I did nurse her and so it took me longer to get back upstairs. As I’m walking in and finding my seat, the speaker is already a couple of minutes into his testimony about being adopted. !!!! Of course I end up listening to every word and wondering what I missed. My husband filled me in later and while I was sad for the birthmother and the little baby boy, I realized the man in front of us became who he was because he was adopted. He has gone on to touch many lives and be a dynamic force in his field of work. Who would he have been had his mother been able to overcome her personal obstacles and kept him?

This gave me comfort and perspective. After all, I carefully picked a couple who lived in a certain geographic area, were a certain religion, were financially comfortable and stable, and who clearly loved each other. I think in the end my son will be better off for being raised as he has been raised. And when I’m truthful with myself, I let myself remember that is one of the reasons I let him go.