What does love require? A.D. 25 - A.D. 2025
Someone was pounding at my door. It was the middle of the night- the sky inky black, devoid of stars or light of moon. I lit my oil lamp, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.
“It’s time! Come quickly!” the voice on the other side of the door implored.
Gathering my bag of ointments, cloths and herbs, I followed behind him as he rushed down the path to the cottage about a mile away. His wife was ready to give birth. The babe came quickly. Too quickly, the cord wrapped around her neck, her tiny face purple. But as I slipped my fingers between the cord and her tiny neck, her eyes fluttered open. She wailed- a good sign.
I cut the cord and placed the baby on the mother’s breast. She looked at its face and began to sob. Her husband came into the room, taking in his shattered wife and the baby whose face was marred with a cleft palate, like a river split at its mouth, unsure of which way to flow.
A defect.
Scooping up the babe, his jaw set, he left the room.
By the way…
What happened next in Roman society was that the father (who had patriarchal rights), would abandon the child on the roadside, exposing it to wild beasts. Sometimes, unscrupulous merchants, finding the child, would raise it to be a slave or a prostitute. This practise was widespread and not illegal. The philosopher, Seneca wrote: “We drown children who at birth are weakly and abnormal.” Other times, babies were left to die if the family was too poor to feed another mouth.
But many people, influenced by the teachings of Jesus, held a radically different view, believing all life is sacred and their practise of rescuing and adopting exposed infants became one of the defining ethical differences between this new movement and pagan Roman culture.
Today, some women choose to terminate their pregnancies, feeling desperate…feeling like there are no other options. Other women who decide to keep their children, are overwhelmed with financial struggles, addictions, or poor mental health and are struggling valiantly to keep their brood together.
Many Christ followers want to respond with compassion, support and practical help for these moms and so in 2003, they started an organization called, “Safe Families” which today, has chapters all over North America. I am SO privileged to know some of these dear ones right here in Chatham-Kent, Ontario.
They are the real deal.
They sacrifice, providing meals, child care, emotional support and financial assistance.
They love when loving isn’t easy and most of all,
They make space for who matters.
Sue. This story is VERY close to my heart. Thank you so much for sharing it. In 1993 I was blessed to adopt my daughter Paige. She was born in Guatemala. Lots of details could be included (Paige knows all of them) but I do not think they are necessary to get into here. Cleft issues were still viewed in Guatemala (and may still may be today) as the work of the devil. It was impossible for Paige’s birth mother to be able to afford another child, let alone afford the necessary surgeries. Birth mother Olga didn’t register for adoption until her 7th month of pregnancy. This was because it was so hard for her to imagine giving up her child. She could just not imagine giving up her baby(sixth). But, she was working cleaning homes in Guatemala City. Her income was $50 Canadian dollars per month. I was so fortunate to meet her when Paige was only 3 weeks old. Olga (a Christian) told me that when she saw our baby’s cleft it was the sign from God that she was making the right decision re adoption. In the 31+ years of Paige’s life only 1 person has ever noticed/mentioned scarring from her many surgeries. Lots more I could say but let me end with: Paige has always been aware of her birth family. She is in communication with them and is so happy about that, as am I. There cannot be too many people who love
a baby! Paige first felt ready to reach out to contact Olga when she was about 22 years old. The first thing Olga said to her was: “There has not been one day go by that I haven’t thought of you and prayed for you.” God is GOOD!
Thank you for the story and the work of Safe families