Today I received a phone call from a family friend of Candice's. She felt compelled to talk with me and ask me to join her in prayer for both Candice and the baby. She hasn't been able to reach Candice or Candice's dad for over a week. She shared with me much more about Candice's situation and my heart went from heavy to heavier.
Candice dropped out of high school after the 9th grade, never got a driver's license (she takes a bus to work), has 2 nieces who are being bounced from home to home w/out a father or child support, a father who works 12 hour shifts and does nothing more than put a roof over her head (he has no interest in the baby or supporting Candice), and a step-mom who is already raising a 3yr. old for another family and is struggling to make ends meet. She has been unwilling to receive prenatal care, and only went in to the hospital 3 weeks ago at the insistence of this family friend who is a nurse. It was there she found out her due date, etc. The baby's heartbeat was strong and he had dropped, but she was not dilated at all. The nurse who examined her strongly encouraged her to see a doctor to ensure the baby's lungs were developing well (she's smokes, has low iron, and is obese), but Candice refused. Her friend shared that while Candice is 26, she has the mentality and attitude of a young teenager. She doesn't think Candice has any real value for her own life or the baby's.
At this point, our agency's hands are tied until they hear from Candice. Without a phone call from her, there is no way of knowing what's happening. Even if she waits until she goes into labor, she has to call our agency from the hospital and request the attorney in order for us to move forward with an adoption plan. If she doesn't do this, the baby will very likely go into CPS custody, even if Candice says she wants to parent (given her situation and decline of prenatal care, the hospital social worker will make the call in the best interest of the child). We are praying Candice has a strong enough state of mind to not let this happen since she knows there is a family in place that's able to give the baby a home.
It is incredibly frustrating to know all Candice has to do is pick up phone for us to have any clue what's going on, and it's the one thing she won't do, for whatever reason.
The entire situation is a sad mess, and my heart breaks for this little boy who is coming into the world so innocently and unknowing of what his life might be. It is situations like this that so strongly remind me why Zach and I have chosen adoption over having children of our own. Babies don't get to choose their family, they are at the whim of their birth parents and the choices they've made, right or wrong. I believe God brings beauty from the ashes, and I believe all the more that He is a God of justice, and somehow His will will come to fruition in this situation. Please continue to pray hard for Candice, her family, and this baby, that they will be compelled to make a loving, selfless, and wise decision for this child. Pray also for Candice to take notice of God's deep and wide love for her, that she will know she is valued and seen by her Creator, and that He wants His very best for her. Her life can be so much more than this, if she'll only open her heart to see Him.
"Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!" Isaiah 31:18
