Tuesday, December 18, 2012

It could have been me. Reece's Rainbow Waiting Child

Benjamin, Mason, and I meet Cinderella!



Dear Readers,
  Today was a wonderful day for us and I hope it was for you, too! It was so wonderful to be together again. We had fun sending out Christmas cards and sewing! Thank you for your prayers for Benjamin....we truly appreciate them. He is doing well! 
    I was all set to write a Christmas post, but God had other plans...



                                
Rebekah, a precious child listed
on Reece's Rainbow
Meet Rebekah. Isn't she just precious? I was scrolling through Reece's Rainbow this afternoon in search of a child to feature on an advocacy blog that I'm blessed to write for, Still We Wait. I fell in love with her and decided to post about her. As I pulled up the short segment Reece's Rainbow has on her, I read a sentence that hit me in the chest. See if you notice anything about this sentence: "Rebekah was born premature at 27 weeks and has quadriplegic CP.
    Born early at 27 weeks. Benjamin, Mason, and I were born at 28 weeks. Oh. My. Goodness. 
  I suddenly was filled with the desire to go hug her now, to hold her and squeeze her and never to let her go. She has Quadriplegic CP just like Benjamin. She was born at 28 weeks. And she is darling. 
  
    "Okay, Claire, we get it, y'all were all born early! What's the big deal? Most of the kids listed on RR were born early!" I know. I know, I know, I know. 

   But the reason her story so broke my heart was because I know that could have been me. Or Benjamin. Or Mason. We could very well have been the child listed on a waiting children site. 
   But the difference between Rebekah and Benjamin, Mason, and I is our mothers. My mother chose life for us, because she loved us with or without disabilities. She loved us through the long, tiring days at the NICU...loved us through hard days of therapy....loved us through times where I felt alone because I didn't have CP...loved us through surgeries...tears....and days of joy and triumph. Rebekah's Mommy said she couldn't do it. She said she couldn't handle a baby born premature, couldn't handle CP. 
   
   I'm not going to lie. This makes me mad. So, so, nailbiting mad. How anyone could look at that face and not be willing to give her the world is unthinkable to me. 

I'm angry that all mothers aren't like my Mom. I'm angry that Rebekah's Mom was unwilling to care for her daughter, despite the sacrifices. I'm angry that she has to suffer while I was blessed with so much. I'm angry that she has waited for six years. I'm angry that no one has snatched up this beautiful little girl! How could you not?? 
   
  But maybe you are feeling like Rebekah's birth mom did. Maybe you feel called to adopt, but unable to care for a child with a disability. Let me tell you this: You yourself are unable to handle caring for Rebekah. It's true. You can't do it. But God can. God is able to care for her and the millions of other inhabitants of the earth. In fact, He does it everyday! He is caring for her as we speak. He is caring for you, and me, and my family and yours, too. He will carry you as you carry Rebekah out of that orphanage. His GRACE is sufficient for you in all that you do. Adoption included.



   My sweet little angel Marcia is no longer listed on Reece's Rainbow as being available for adoption. She may never know the love of a family, may never feel the arms of her mother around her. She might not know how it feels to be loved until she reaches Heaven. She waited for five years and now it is too late.
  
    But it is not yet too late for Rebekah! She still has a chance! She is filled with so much joy, despite her suffering. She would be the biggest blessing you have ever received, I can assure you of that. She needs you. Please step up and save her before it is too late. 


Give her the world like my Mom gave me. 

Thank you, Mom, for all you have done for us and continue
to do! You are the biggest blessing
God has ever given me!
 Te amo!



There is HOPE for Rebekah and many other children around the world! Please remember them in your prayers as we celebrate the One who gave us blessed hope. Your Blogger,
 Claire