A few years ago I had the privilege of meeting a young woman who, in the course of one conversation, changed my life. If you will allow me a few minutes of your time, I would like to tell you a little about her. You see, her story goes a little something like this. She was soon to be a college sophomore and had aspirations of attending nursing school. She spent the summer after her freshman year working on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Things were going well until the unimaginable happened. Though the details of the events that followed are not mine to tell, I will simply say that someone took something from her that wasn't theirs to take and a few months later she learned that she was expecting a baby.  

Once the shock wore off, my friend knew without a shadow of a doubt, that she would give the baby she was carrying inside of her the opportunity to live and grow into the individual God desired for him or her to be. This information is what helped shaped my first impression of my new friend. I was floored by her level of maturity. In a world where just about everyone would justify her actions had she chosen not to give life to the baby she was carrying, she resolved to do the opposite because she knew the baby was a gift from the Lord. The first time I met her, she impressed me. But, having worked with college students for more than a decade, I had been impressed by mature college girls before. However, as I got to know my new friend over the days and weeks to come, without hesitation, she solidified herself as the most courageous woman I've ever encountered.

When I met her, she was about seven and a half months into her pregnancy. As our relationship began to develop, I was amazed by the grace she displayed in the midst of her circumstances. When she could have been bogged down with anger and bitterness, a sweet spirit radiated from her. When she could have been resentful for having to endure such a difficult situation at her age, she embodied a sense of peace. When she could have been selfish, she chose to be selfless.  

I hadn't known her for very long, but when she asked me to join she and her mom in the delivery room for the delivery of the baby, I was both floored and giddy with excitement. I had never had the opportunity to be in the delivery room during the birth of a child. And to be honest, my expectation of what was going to happen while in the delivery room was largely based on what I had seen in movies. I was half-expecting there to be weeping and gnashing of teeth as she was calling for her epidural, all the while preparing myself for obscenities to be flying around the room while panting and heavy breathing exercises were taking place. And yet, when the time rolled around for her to deliver, my friend blew my mind again. She was completely calm and collected, displaying a level of courage that I'm sure I could not have replicated had I been in her shoes. None of my aforementioned expectations were taking place. When the doctor encouraged her to push, she barely made an audible sound while squeezing her mother's hand. And after just three short pushes, she delivered a beautiful, healthy baby girl.

As the nurse ushered the baby over to the heat lamp to clean her up, my friend watched from her hospital bed with anticipation. I never asked her what she was thinking at this point, but, I can imagine after everything she had been through over the last nine months that she was a little overwhelmed with emotion at this precious little gift she just brought into the world. And just when I thought she could not display more courage than she already had, I had a bird's eye view to one of the most beautiful displays of love I have ever witnessed. With grace that could only come from the Lord above, she held her head high and she patiently endured watching the nurse take that precious little girl and place her in my arms, simultaneously granting me the gift of motherhood.  

You see, the most courageous woman I've ever known, is the one whose selfless act made me a mom. There are simply no adequate words to describe how thankful I am for this young woman and the sacrifice that she and her family made by choosing to entrust my husband and I with such a precious gift. For without that display of courage, I may never have known how sweet it is to hold a newborn baby of my own, or relish in the sound of my little girl's angelic laughter, or feel my heart swell with pride when she puts her little arms around my neck and says, "I love you, Mommy." For this, I am now and will be forever grateful for the most courageous woman I've ever known.    

 A Note from the Editor:

November is National Adoption Month. If you're not familiar with the foster care system or the adoption process, you may not have known that. President Reagan established the first National Adoption week in 1984 and President Clinton expanded that week to the entire month of November in 1998. The goal of this month is to raise awareness around the need for permanent homes for children of all ages across the United States.

According to childwarefare.gov, there are nearly half a million children in the United States foster care system and over 120,000 awaiting adoption. This number continues to rise each year. The 2019 initiative of the United States Children's Bureau is to focus on the recruitment of adoptive families for teenagers, especially older teens. There are over 10,000 15-17 year olds that need the support and stability that come with a permanent home. For a teen, adoption is more than just a home. It's the ability to feel like they belong and are connected to a loving family in a world full of disconnected people. 

Sharing our stories about how we've been personally affected by adoption helps pull back the curtain on what can be a very misunderstood process. Throughout the month of November, we're going to share the Taylors' adoption story. What you've read here is just the beginning. I hope you'll follow along as we unravel their journey through the adoption process. You can watch their beautiful story unfold on our social channels (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter), or head to www.fbcstarkville.com/tayloradoption.