Wednesday, September 23, 2009

The Greatest Gift
By Jen Wollner

“…the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 6:23

Two women: one with a desperate desire for a child, but whose womb is barren; and another, thousands of miles away, carrying a child she can’t raise herself. It’s not an uncommon story. Scenarios like this develop everyday around the world, but that doesn’t make it any less extraordinary when a birth mother gives up her child and an adoptive mother’s arms are finally full. Two women, one incredibly strong bond…linked forever through the life of a tiny baby.

This was exactly what happened for Whittney and Koleen. Whittney, the adoptive mother, had an intense desire for a child and suffered excruciating heartbreak when she miscarried four times. The birth mother, Koleen, was pregnant and unable to care for her child in the way she knew he needed, so she hand-picked Whittney and her husband, believing they were the perfect parents for her son. She knew this was what was best for him, but as the days got closer to his birth, her emotions were high…as were those of Whittney. Whittney had carried the weight of loss for so long, but now she was going to be a mother. Koleen had carried her son for nine months, but now had to say good-bye. It was a heartrending scene…joy and pain; hope and sorrow.

Through her tears Whittney cried, “Koleen has given us the greatest gift anyone could ever give another person.” Her heart was overwhelmed with the magnitude of what she was receiving. (1)

I can relate to Whittney on many levels. I have two adopted children. And, I’ve struggled through miscarriages and infertility. I felt her unspeakable joy as she held her son for the first time. But, Koleen! Oh, what misery! As she held her son, her anguish was almost unbearable. Her head told her that she was making the right choice for him, but it didn’t ease her hurting heart or heal the gaping hole left behind.

God gave up His Son, too. One can only imagine the pain and distress of His heart. He sacrificed Jesus so that He could spend eternity with us, yes, but was that enough to take away the grief, the agony? The Father and the Son had always been One and now, for that moment on the Cross, they were separate. God’s pain was to be our joy; His sorrow, our hope.

Giving up a child is a loss like no other. What God the Father gave us that day in His Son, Jesus, was truly the greatest Gift anyone could ever receive.

GOING DEEPER:
1. Take a moment to meditate on the sacrifice our Heavenly Father made as He gave up His Son for us.

FURTHER READING:
John 3:16

(1) as seen on Adoption Diaries on WE tv

Jen and her husband are busily parenting three children under the age of 6. Jen heads the Fresh Start ministry and is on the leadership team for Mission: Hope, Oakwood’s orphan care ministry.
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