The Saturday Journal: Her Gift
This story is a true story about the kindness of God–how He loves and takes care of us long before we are born. I pray in some small way this story will bless you and encourage you to always know, the Words of God are true and faithful.
Jeremiah 29:11–For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
I don’t know how my Grandmother’s story ended or nothing in between–only a glimpse of her life–reduced to nineteen short sentences we received in a report a few years after my Daddy passed away. The report described her physical appearance, a little about her siblings, her mother and father and her Baptist “religious affiliation”.
You see, Daddy never wanted to know who his biological parents were–in his mind–from what little we were told–not from him–but from Mama–he felt he wasn’t wanted. Back then the “system” didn’t educate adoptive parents on how to tell their children they were adopted. It was almost treated as shame or an embarrassment to the child. And the way in which Daddy found out he was adopted–he was older at the time–when a “not so kind” teacher blurted it out one day.
The life of my Daddy was not an easy one at times–dealing with this. He had his scars–his hurts–struggles he kept buried deep inside.
He also had a life with many blessings–God’s goodness and protection. And he was quick to tell people that–especially as he got older. He loved the Lord and was grateful for every day he was given.
But what my Daddy didn’t know during his lifetime was how a nineteen-year-old girl with a fifth-grade education bravely walked into a children’s home and allowed a house mother to take her six-month old baby boy out of her arms. And five days later, his adoptive parents showed up, and his new mother reached down into a crib full of babies and lifted him into her arms.
The adoption report read, “The birth mother was one of six children–she, being a middle child. She quit school to take care of her disabled mother and a caregiver to her younger siblings. The birth father was not available for an interview–what little is known was provided by the birth mother. The birth mother planned carefully, feeling adoption was the best way to secure her baby’s future.”
Her family–they were cotton mill workers.
I’ve learned life as a cotton mill worker was hard labor and living in a mill community was often brutal. Everything was controlled by the men who owned the mills. Their homes were governed–curfews were enforced. Wages were low. Even the churches and pastors in the mill community were controlled–bought and paid for by the mill owners.
A historian from the Textile Heritage Museum here in North Carolina shared with me, and these are his words, “Adoptions were quite frequent in mill communities as well as other community environments. With the Great Depression on one end of the 1930’s, and then followed by World War 2, life was VERY TOUGH for Americans, especially those working and living within the mill environment.”
My Grandmother’s heartbreaking, courageous decision changed the very trajectory of my Daddy’s life–my Mama’s life–my life, the lives of my siblings–my brothers and sister, along with the lives of our children, our grandchildren, and generations of our family to come. One decision–one selfless act. And God’s grace and mercy–His plans have been in my family’s story all along–
There’s this song I listened to–many times over in the coming days and months after Daddy passed away. The title of the song–“Deep as it is Wide”. It’s a beautiful story of crossing over from this life into heaven–of a love deep as it is wide. A few lines in the song are…
“I hear when you get to the river
You look back for the very last time
And when you cross, you get washed off forever
Hurry up boy, eternity is on the other side”
I believe we all have our own visions of dying–how we imagine it will be–leaving earth–crossing over to our heavenly home. And I like to imagine my Daddy wading in this final cleansing water–Jesus on the other side–His arms stretched wide. And when Daddy stepped ashore, Jesus embraced him and said, ‘Let’s sit over under the shade tree there–talk a few minutes–just you and me before we walk through the Pearly Gates. And they talked more and as they stood to leave, Jesus put his arm around Daddy’s shoulder and said, “I know there’s lots of people you want to meet and see old friends–loved ones already inside–but son, there’s someone I want you to meet first–spend some time with her. She’s been waiting on you for a while now.’
May your hearts be filled with wonder, love, peace, and thankfulness this Christmas.
Merry Christmas from my heart to yours.
The Saturday Journal will return on January 4th, 2025.
A humble and heartfelt thank you for reading The Saturday Journal.
My prayer is to share The Saturday Journal every Saturday or at least bi-weekly--
and the stories shared here in this space will bless you in some small way.
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All photos @copyright Tathel Miller, unless otherwise credited to another photographer
We spend our years as a tale that is told.
Psalm 90:9
The love of family is evident in everything you write. Thank you for sharing!