Adoptees' Bellybutton Blues and Healing

"Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous- and how well I know it" Psalms 139:14 (New Living Translation)

Bellybuttons are funny! Everyone owns one and just like fingerprints, no two are alike. Children typically are fascinated with these peculiar holes in their tummy and love to intently study them . Giggles typically come when a baby's bellybutton is gently poked in fun! No one seems to take bellybuttons seriously for they just seem to sit on our middles and do nothing worthwhile. No wonder they make us laugh! They seem so silly! But at one time, when we were created in the wombs of our mothers, they played a lifesaving role.
Our bellybutton (navel) or tummy-button as it's sometimes called is a sign that we once were anatomically attached to our mothers. An umbilical cord, beautifully designed by God, was our dependent lifeline needed to carry all the nourishment from our mother's body to ours while we were developing. When we were born and left the womb to breathe on our own, this precious cord was cut, severed and we became independent little persons.
Adoptee Joy Budensiek, who wrote the book "Reconnected to my Bellybutton" regarding her search and reunion with her birth mother, chose a clever title to name her quest. The reality of the presence of the bellybutton reminds adoptees that they once had a precious connection with their birth mother who they were separated from and likely never knew. Bellybutton's are the first scar that needed healing from the point of the severing. Though this bodily wound heals soon after birth with a scar, adoptees carry an additional emotional wound from the complete separation from their mothers through adoption. This too requires a process of healing. Regardless of whether an adoptee has embraced a positive adoption experience or not the significant loss of the birth mother needs to be grieved. The grieving process can begin anytime an adoptee cognitively awakens to their adoptee status. Then they can begin to comprehend their original loss and in time hopefully give themselves permission to grieve the separation. And as Christians we grieve, but not as those who have no hope. Our hope rests in God, our Maker.
Ah, bellybuttons! Silly to behold, wonderfully unique as fingerprints and bittersweet scars of rememberance. May they ever remind us of the awesome gift of life we've been given by our heavenly Father through the sacrificial love of our first mothers.

God our Creator, Maker of our awesome bodies and even our bellybuttons! We thank and praise you for the beauty of your design. As we navigate the mixed emotions of our adoption journeys, we ask that you would be our tender Shepherd . Hold us as we grieve our losses and embrace our adoption and the life you planned for us for your glory and your honor. In Jesus name we pray, Amen

By Jody Moreen, Copyright 2006. Permission needed to reprint in any form or media.

Bask in Your Abba Father's Acceptance, Adopted One

"To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the beloved." Ephesians 1:6 ( King James Bible )

Basking in the summer sunshine became a passionate pastime for me as a teen. At the time, slathering myself in baby oil and sizzling for endless hours exposing my tender skin to the scorching sun did not seem foolish. Sheer pleasure was found reclining my body in sweet submission to the warmth of the radiating rays. Soaking up the sun, like a sponge, was the order of the day to insure the promise of a beautifully bronzed body. Every effort was made to encourage the penetration of every available sun ray. Sunscreen, sunglasses, umbrellas and hats were not part of my sunbathing wardrobe. Sun blockers were NOT welcome here!
God's word tells us that we are fully accepted in the beloved as God's adopted children because of what Jesus the Son did on the cross for us- not from anything within ourselves. We have often failed to be aware of the "Son" blockers that have often kept this treasured truth from penetrating our very souls. Dissapointments, losses and hurts, past and present, can erect barriers and roadblocks that keep us from fully receiving all the love and acceptance God desires to freely give us as His cherished children. Satan works overtime to convince us that we are unworthy, unacceptable, and doomed to be rejected by God and others. To live in freedom and walk victoriously in Christ, we must settle this matter once and for all. Ephesians 1:6 reminds us that we ARE accepted, loved, and cherished forever by our faithful Abba Father. Oh what a glorious truth! Receive it, own it, claim it, bask in it, and walk in the light of it! "Son" blockers NOT welcome here!
Copyright 2006, Jody Moreen, Permission needed to reprint in any form or published media.

Charlie Brown's OrphanedTree, Me & The Master Gardener

He is like a tree planted beside streams of (living) water that bears its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.
Psalms 1:3 Holman Bible

One of the most endearing of all holiday children's television specials finds Charlie Brown on assignment to find the "perfect" tree for the stage of the Christmas pageant. After a thorough search of countless trees, Charlie's drawn to the thinnest, scraggliest most pathetic twig on the tree lot. At first the Peanuts gang makes fun of Charlie for choosing such a pitiful evergreen , but Linus comes to the rescue wrapping his security blanket around the tree. Linus' touch appears to bring the tree back to life making it look healthier and stronger. Everyone realizes in the end that a little affection and nuture can make all the difference in the world... even to a tree.
As an adoptee I have been drawn to that Christmas special portraying the beautiful transformation of that lonely, orphaned tree, to a spectacle of great beauty and worth. Charlie Brown and Linus mirror the Master Gardener to me, the God of Creation who looked at all that he had made and saw that it was" good." God lovingly sought me out- an abandoned, orphaned and uprooted sapling. He scooped me up in His tender arms of compassion and love and rejoiced over me with singing. He grafted me into a sturdy tree with a firm foundation and showered His living water on me. As I grew, He trimmed me and pruned me with His gardening tools, not with the intention to harm me, but to make me stronger and more fruitful and prosperous for Him. I may not understand all His gardening techniques via the circumstances I have encountered through adoption. Some have shaken me to the core of my foundation and have been pretty painful. But today as I stand firm and tall like a mighty oak, I know that I have been forever changed by His grace and unending love- Ahh, the transforming touch of the Master's Hand!

Copyright 2006, Jody Moreen, Permission needed to reprint in any form or published media.

God Monogrammed Me On The Palms of His Hand!

Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me.
Isaiah 49:16

As a giddy high school gal back in the 70's, I unashamedly rose to the ranks of a confirmed clotheshorse. One of my favorite fashions of the day included monogrammed sweaters like the ones Laverne DeFasio flaunted that bore the oversized initial "L" on the T.V. sitcom "Laverne and Shirley". I proudly owned about a dozen of these cardigans in a cascade of colors. Monogrammed apparel, in my egotistical world, shouted a certain air of distinction, class and typically was reserved for the well-to-do. Feelings of pride, ownership and entitlement washed over me as I wore these sweaters emblazoned with my personal initials. They were "mine" alone and no one else could claim them.
The verse from Isaiah today tells me that I hold an esteemed place of highest honor and distinction in God's heart and wardrobe. He proudly engraved me on the palms of his hands for all to see. I bust my Father's buttons! He proclaims to the world that I am His cherished child, His prized possession! I'm adopted. Bought with a price, Jesus' precious blood. Oh my silly sweaters... How they pale in comparison to God's opinion of me!

Copyright 2006, Jody Moreen. Permission needed to reprint in any form or published media.

Adoptees Embrace"Kindred Spirits" in their "Forever Family"

"But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, so that I also may be encouraged when I learn of your condition. For I have no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare." Phillippians 2:19,20 (The New American Standard Bible)

Being adopted means having not only one set of parents, but two. The parents who made us and the parents who raised us. Both have contributed traits that have influenced who we have become. And if we get married and take a spouse someday, we add their relatives to our ever growing family tree. A probing question may take up residence in our "adoption" backpack on our journey. A question that may rear its head from time to time, nagging us and feeling like a pesty younger tag- a- long sibling clinging to our leg, demanding attention and refusing to let go.
Who is my "real" family, my "forever" family? Am I to choose, or embrace them all? Confusion may ensue.
God's Word brings comfort and clarity and reminds us of who our true family is. On our spiritual pilgrimage, we as Christians come to inherit a bigger family- our "brothers and sisters"who share a living faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Wow- We have a LOT of families!
God calls us to honor all our family members and demonstrate His unconditional love to each one. But we sense a special bonding, a wonderful sweetness with our spiritual family-
- our brothers and sisters in Christ. Our hearts are woven together through our shared relationship with God our Father. We're kindred spirits. When we accepted God's Son Jesus as our Savior and Lord,we were adopted into this precious eternal family! And from our "adoption day" forward we are drawn to these siblings by the fragrance of Christ that follows us and the mirror image of Jesus we reflect to one another. Our forever family, kindred spirits!

Copyright 2006, Jody Moreen. Permission needed to reprint in any form or published media.

Adoptees Rejoice, Your Life was Planned in the Heart of God!

"My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." Psalms 139:15-16

Gianna Jessen, adoptee was unexpectedly born on a beautiful morning in April of 1977. Though her birth mother had chosen to have a late term abortion, the procedure failed at the clinic. A startled nurse called an ambulance and sent Gianna to a hospital where she survived and remained for several months before becoming a foster child who was later adopted. Gianna has overcome many challenges due to her difficult birth and countless surgeries that left her with cerebral palsy. She is not bitter over her life's physical limitations for God planted forgiveness in her heart that has come into full bloom. She loves the Lord Jesus and praises her Father God for creating her. Gianna has dedicated her days to sharing her awesome testimony embracing the sanctity of life. She hopes that many birth parents facing unplanned pregnancies will see God's love for the unborn and will chose life, not abortion. Gianna knows she was born in the heart of God and believes His Word that says that though her birth parents did not plan her life, her heavenly Father did.
Those of us who are adopted may have wrestled with the challenging circumstances of our beginnings and the hard choices our birth parents were faced with. We may have heard and believed lies that said we were illegitimate, unwanted or rejected. Not so! God's Word reminds us today that we are God's cherished children! Our First Father knew us long before we were ever conceived. And He had a plan and purpose for our lives before we even took our first breath. Our compassionate, loving dad has been with us continually, protecting us in the womb, rejoicing over us with singing the day of our birth and adoption! And His promise to never leave us or abandon us fills us with Hope and purpose for all the precious tomorrows He has planned for our lives.
Rejoice today in knowing Who you are and Whose you are- God's child!

Copyright 2006, Jody Moreen. Permission need to reprint in any form or published media.

Missing Pieces Invaluable to the Adoptee Jigsaw puzzle

And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.' Luke 15:9

My adoptive mom has developed a passion for puzzles in her retirement years. Countless hours are spent scouring over hundreds of jigsaw pieces and solving the mystery of where each piece belongs in the big picture. On occaision, when she is close to completing one of her masterpieces, one or two pieces will come up missing. One would think that it's no big deal considering there are 499 other pieces fitted into their proper spaces. But to a puzzle master like my mom, an inner angst ensues when a piece is found missing. Incomplete puzzles never feel finished, they're lacking. Each tiny cardboard piece is invaluable in making the project complete. A missing piece gets alot of attention and its like a "puzzle alarm" goes off and a frenzied search begins high and low to locate the lost.
Many adoptees I have known who grew up in closed adoptions often speak of their birth family, their birth history as missing puzzle pieces in their life. And those missing pieces leave a gapping hole in their life picture, just like some of my mom's incomplete jigsaw projects Yes, many adoptees' puzzle pieces may be in place and fit together perfectly. But just like the unfinished puzzle some adoptees are prompted to begin a diligent search for their lost history.There is great joy and satisfaction in solving the lifelong mystery, and in finally putting in that last piece that was missing. Ahhh.......... finished,complete!

Copyright 2006, Jody Moreen, permission needed to reprint in any form or published media