fasting

On our drive to pick up Jude after work last night, me and Collin had a pretty heavy discussion about substance abuse while pregnant, adoption, foster homes and all the effects that these situations can have on children. 

As many of you already know, Collin and I work at a Marriott hotel and one of the clients that we deal with on a regular basis is an adoption center. This means that we have parents who are picking up newborn babies in the area to welcome to their family. We also have the mothers staying with us that are giving their child up for adoption. Being adopted myself, I have a very strong opinion about what an absolutely beautiful gift it is, but that discussion can be left for another time. 

When I was 8 months pregnant, we had a girl (I say girl because she couldn't have been more then 17 years old) staying with us that was days away from giving birth. Before I go on, I will say that I was proud of her decision to go through with adoption because she knew, that at that time, she couldn't provide the stable life the baby growing inside of her needed and deserved. 

However, while I was working the front desk one night, she came up to me and asked, 

"Because of my circumstances, I don't have an ID with me. Do you know if the gas station across the street will still sell me cigarettes without it?" 

Im my head, my response was, 

"Because of your circumstance, I don't think you should be smoking cigarettes" (And maybe a few other choice words)

(I am still kicking myself for not actually saying this to her)

I was taken back. Although I know that this isn't uncommon, it was one of those sickening feelings in the pit of your stomach that makes you stop and think about what is really happening. There are so many unborn babies that are being intoxicated with substances that they aren't choosing to have. They have absolutely no control of their caregiver giving them alcohol, tobacco or any other toxic substance.

If you saw a toddler walking down the sidewalk drinking from a bottle of Jack, would you just think to yourself, 'that isn't right'..? NO! You would take it from them and say they can not have that. (At least I hope people would) I feel the same reaction should apply for pregnant moms that are infesting their unborn children with these mind altering drugs. 

It comes down to it being a moral dilemma. I didn't say anything for the sake of keeping my job but I am mad at myself for not educating her on what she was really doing to that child inside of her, weather she was giving it up for adoption or not. It is absolutely heart breaking knowing that these babies probably will never have the full ability to grow and learn because of selfish decisions their mothers are choosing to make.

At the moment, we have 3 pregnant moms staying with us. All babies being put up for adoption for different reasons. Those sweet babies will be going to a home full of love and gratitude and appreciation. A home probably unlike the one they would be in if their mothers decided to keep them. And for that, I thank these pregnant mothers for that hard and selfless choice. 

But I also hope that they know there is still a human life growing inside of them, and weather it is going to be their child or someone else's, it is still their responsibility to care for them while in the womb.  

So today, Collin and I decided to fast for those little souls who don't have the choice, and for the mothers making it.