I have the privilege of spending Mothers day weekend with my
children, Spencer and Chloe in Atlanta, GA. This is the first time in six years
that we get to do that, and I am enjoying every minute. Our time together
includes pedicures, delicious meals, a movie and lots of talking.
I asked Chloe what I should write my blog about today, and
without missing a beat, she said, “ Why don’t you write about the 12-year-old
moms that you know”.
Wow. Okay,
that’s a good idea, let me give that a try.
MANY of our babies come to us because their mothers are very
young teenage girls who have been violently raped and found themselves
pregnant. There is a tremendous amount of shame and sometimes they want to
commit suicide and even end the life of their unborn child. It is in those situations that I am
called to help counsel them.
I have looked deep into the eyes of MANY young 12, 13, 14
and 15-year-old girls who have been brought to me by the police or Social
Welfare and I can see their pain and their shame. As some of you know, my birthmother was also 15-years-old
when she gave birth to me in 1963 and she too brought great shame on her
family. In fact, she was sent away to a home for unwed mothers so that no one
in her community or family would know that she was pregnant with me. After she
gave birth, I was adopted by Bernice and Russell Willis, and she went back home
with her secret buried deep in her heart.
(See more details in my blog:
http://janinemaxwell.blogspot.com/2012/05/my-birth-mother-was-15-years-old-when-i.html).
What I am able to say to these young teenage moms is that God
has a plan for their lives and a plan for their baby’s life. I am living proof that God doesn’t
waste anything and that while an unwanted pregnancy, at any age, can be
traumatic, it is ONLY GOD who can make a baby, and each child has a purpose.
We don’t often have family members visit our children, but
just today we had a young teenager come to see her little boy whom we have
named “Russell”, after my adoptive father. The girl just wanted to see if the
baby (whom she hasn’t seen in four years) was okay. She is now in Grade 7 in school, and lives with her
Great Grandmother. Russell has a bright
future ahead of him and the young girl was able to see that her request for us
to take her child was the right one.
Last night we had a wonderful evening with dear friends at
the home of Dr. David and Becky Fern. It was great to be able to share from the depths of my
heart, all that is happening in Swaziland – the good, the bad and the ugly. At the end of the evening our friend
David Mears pulled me aside and told me that while he was proud of all that we
have done and accomplished, we should be most proud of Chloe and Spencer and
the adults that they have become.
David, I couldn’t agree more, and thank you for saying that.
Thank you Kim and David Mears for your friendship. |
Happy Mothers Day to the young mothers and the old. Motherhood is not easy, but it is such
an important job. May I encourage
you all to be strong and courageous as you parent the treasure that God has
given you.
Thank you Spencer and Chloe for being amazing children and
such wonderful role models to your 189 young brothers and sisters.
Live from Atlanta … I am a very proud mom.
Janine
Deborah looks like Cindy-loo-hoo. |
Both of these beauties came to us from young teenage moms. |
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