Our Father...

Today is Father’s Day and the wonderful father of my children is still sleeping soundly. He’s not sleeping in, I’m just up early. Sara and Leah too, are still sleeping. Sara on the top bunk, even though she’s still not sure it’s completely safe. Both of them slept through the night for the first time since we’ve put them up. The bunk beds are taking a little to get used to.

I’m not sure where my future son is right now. Following our potential timeline from Mission of Tears and the average age of adoption, it is possible that he is already born, in the first few weeks of oxygen-breathing life. He is perhaps tasting warm milk for one of the first times, sucking on his bottle every three hours, smelling of baby and milk, and sweetness. He is learning new smells himself and is being cuddled in cozy blankets by his caregiver. Or it is possible that his birth mom is still his home, his source of food, protection, warmth, that she is plagued right now with backaches, sore ribs from his relentless kicking and frequent trips to the bathroom depending on how hard he is pressing on her bladder.

I don’t know where our son’s birth mother is. I wonder how she is. How is she dealing with her decision to relinquish her son. Is she feeling the comfort and peace of Christ that we keep praying her way as we pray for our children, each night and even under our breath at random moments throughout our daily activities? Days like today, Father’s Day, and last month Mother’s Day must be very difficult for birth parents. They are mothers and fathers, but the day is not a celebrated one for them.

I don’t know where our son’s birth father is. Does he place his hands on the swollen belly of his partner and feel our sons (his and ours) kicks while his heart aches at his decision to say goodbye to the baby he won’t bring up? Or, does he know that his son exists? Is he carrying on with life, oblivious to the miracle of our child, an incredible gift of life from a loving and gracious God?
I pray on this Father’s Day, that our son’s other parents may be comforted with the love of our Father and theirs; that the Heavenly Father will lavish them with grace and peace, comfort and even joy in their sadness today and always.