reaching out

Based on my Follow-up to Mother’s day post, a reader asked me this question.  I liked her question and the opportunity it gives me to share (because I believe this is a very common issue), so I’m turning it into a full post.

This is W’s question:

“I’ve been lurking here for a short time and I know you don’t know me from Adam but i just feel you could help me. Maybe write a post on it or e mail me or whatever. My question is – on Mothers Day (or any day) at church how could I make it easier for you. Is there anything I could say to bring a light to your day. I have four children and honestly that makes me feel strange trying to convey hope and love to you who are waiting to adopt. Maybe I shouldn’t feel strange I just don’t want to say anything that would hurt more than just keeping silent.
If you haven’t already gathered this there is a woman in my church – my age – who is waiting to adopt and it just feels like there is this barrier between us. I thought you could help me. I hope I’m not out of line here – I just want to convey love and all I have to go on is ignorance.

Thanks – even if you decide not to answer – thanks for sharing here so honestly. W—-“

Thank you for asking this. First off

Every Situation is Different

But, if it was me here’s what I would want you to do:

1. Hug me, invite me to dinner with your family. Let me get to know your kids.

It takes away some of the pain to have kids in my life. Even though they are not mine. At church this past Sunday the biggest joy for me was watching the kids that I know personally.  Knowing them personally meant that they weren’t just angelic faces and cute girls with perfect dresses and bows in their hair.  They were real people instead of icons of pain.  That helps so much.  Also when they were leaving, after their song, some of the kids I’m friends with grinned at me and one high-fived me on the way out of the sanctuary.  It meant something to her that I was there and that made my heart sing!

2. Once you get to know her better: trust her with your child.

Especially if you still have a “babe-in-arms” place your child in her arms. I don’t know how your friend is feeling right now, but I know that there was a time when I was terrified to reach out and ask to be allowed to hold a child. And toddlers are torture, because sometimes you reach out your arms to them and they laugh and run the other way. This is no big deal to a normal person, but to someone who is aching to hold a child it can be horrible! So YOU have to make the first move, show her that you trust her.

Some time when you are holding one of your children and you need your hands free, just turn to your friend and say “here, take Sarah for me for a second”  You may feel like you are imposing on her, but your friend will more than likely feel she has been given a gift.  A lot of infertile women (myself included) secretly feel that maybe God didn’t think we would make good mommies. So just allowing her to hold your child might help her.  I know it would certainly help me.  And it’s not the kind of thing I can ASK for, ya know?

3.   Tell her about your frustrations as well as your joys as a mom.

She needs to know that being a mom is overwhelming, and that EVEN YOU can’t do it without God.   See sometimes those of us on the outside look at those of you who are immersed in the mommy experience as “experts” and we are flooded with feelings of panic “can I really do this Lord?” and the answer of course is ‘”no. None of us can parent without God”

4.  Also make sure to have good times that are not entirely mommy related.

If possible be her friend outside of the mommy/not-yet-mommy issue.  Invite her to share a hotel room with you at a women’s retreat.  Show her that she is a worthwhile person to you even without kids.  This is HUGE.  My mommy-friends who are willing to spend time on me help my heart so much! they show me daily that they value me as a person *even in my current state of childlessness*

5.  The best thing you can do for her is to let her in. Into your world, into your heart.

Talk to her. Tell her how unsure you are and ask her what you can do to help. If God has pointed her out to you (and I believe He has) there is a reason, so go to her. Tell her you have been praying for her and ask her how you can help.

6.  Wait, I take that back. The BEST thing you can do for her is to pray.

I’ll be praying for you both.

Deirdre
still waiting to be a mommy, but perfectly happy to be a friend

follow-up to Mother’s Day

To all my friends who read my Mother’s Day rant and posted verses for me to use to “get through the day” on Sunday….

Thanks. They meant a lot. I read every one of them.

Turns out I didn’t need them on Sunday. Apparently my “bad day” was on Friday. I took more damage in the anticipation of Mother’s Day than I did on the day itself.

Based on the evidence it shouldn’t have turned out that way. We got a call on Saturday morning that one of the children we had hoped to adopt has gone to another family. This should have upset me, but it didn’t. We both just felt good about it.

On Saturday afternoon we met my mom, my niece and one of my niece’s best friends for an early dinner, then we all came back to our house to read aloud. It could have been rather poignant (us sitting in the living room, reading to two kids who are not ours) but instead it was just a really fun time. Both girls got the giggles every time it was their turn to read. I never knew the rescue by the eagles scene in the Hobbit was quite that funny.

On Sunday (of course) we weren’t singing so I had the joy of sitting on the floor level right behind the cherub and angel choirs. Oh great. But instead of feeling pain while watching all these cute kids wiggle in the pews and then sing their songs, all I felt was proud. Proud of the few kids in the choirs that I know personally. “Look at how straight Sarah is standing” “Didn’t Aaron & Jenny Lee do well this morning” etc.

So the long and short of it is this: thanks for praying for me, and thanks for sending me the verses to cling to. It helped, just not in the way I was anticipating. But that’s so like God isn’t it? His ways are higher and way better than my plans. Aways.

how to like mother’s day…

…..even when you don’t have kids.

the cynical side of me wants to ask God, “hello? didn’t you know this holiday was coming up? you are omnipotent right?  It would have been so perfect to have that sweet little 9 month old adopted boy on my lap for mother’s day.  Couldn’t you have worked out something by now?”

but here I sit. the Friday before “Mother’s Day” ….childless.

Yes, I know. Keep hoping. Trust God. They that wait upon the Lord, shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles…..yeh, I know.

I keep wondering if the renewing of strength is just a renewal so I can wait some more.

I’ve been doing really well recently. Christmas was an absolute disaster emotionally speaking. But since then I’ve been feeling very peaceful about the whole issue issue. I figure God will do what is right for us when He wants to. But I’m dreading Mother’s day. Kids everywhere. Mother’s glorified,  my poor hubby trying to be sensitive and supportive, and then there’s me.. sitting there in the pew like a lump, feeling like I’ve failed.  My sweet choir director even gave us the day off so we can sit with our families.  Great.  Wonderful.  So now I don’t even have singing to keep my mind occupied.  Yes, I’m feeling sorry for myself.  Yes, I know it’s not attractive.

Is God holding off on giving me good news about a pending adoption because He wants me to learn to NOT let the random circumstances of a holiday get me down? This is a hallmark scam anyway, why should I let it affect me? why do we celebrate it in church? “Mother’s Day” has nothing to do with God, but thats a whoooole ‘nother post.

So here’s my key to enjoying Mother’s Day: claim GOD’s joy. A joy that can not be disturbed by external factors.

Anyone got any verse that I can claim to help me through the day?