Birth Mother Mentors

Last Saturday was Lifeline’s first ever Birth Mother Mentor training. Around ten o’clock that morning, a dozen or so of us filed into a room complete with beautiful tables, candies, notebooks and pens, ready to learn about “the birth mother”. That term means different things to different people; for some, she is the person who carried them for nine months, for others, she is the lady in the grocery store who is “due any day”, and yet, for adoptive children and families, she is the unsung hero – the person God uses to bring lives and families into existence. For me, she is the face of my children (yes, I am an adoptive mother of two daughters and could not wear that banner without their birth mothers.)

I am convinced that God “sees” the birth mother. Perhaps her struggle is unique from anyone else’s. Remember Hagar, birth mother of Ishmael? We can learn about her in Genesis, chapter 16. When pregnant and mistreated by her mistress, she fled to the desert and sought refuge by a spring. The angel of the Lord found her there and comforted her with His words; in response, she said “You are the God who sees me.” God has indeed looked down and seen the birth mothers who have sought refuge at Lifeline. He has provided safety, food, clothing and loving house parents for hundreds of birth mothers who have lived at our maternity home. He has placed Christian counselors on staff in the lives of birth mothers who have needed to hear about His Son’s sacrifice for them and their children, and now it seems He is providing mentors to walk alongside our birth mothers and minister to their physical and emotional needs.

We look forward to what God can do through the mentors of these birth mothers. Although adoption has great gains for all those involved, it is a difficult decision for the birth mother and is one accompanied by loss for her. For those birth mothers without a support system in place, our mentors can fill in the gaps and remind them of the selfless decision they are making through adoption. Please pray for the birth mother who, like Hagar, may feel hopeless and alone but may one day be able to say: “I have now seen the One who sees me.” (Genesis 16:13)

For more information on becoming a birth mother mentor, contact Traci at traci.newell@lifelineadoption.org.

Traci Newell
Education Coordinator