CFS is a ministry. That sounds wonderful but what does it mean?
Is it because we are Christian-based? Is it because the office is inside a church building? Is it because we offer alternatives to abortion?Is it because the adoptive families are Christian? Is it because we pray with the Birth Moms during meetings? What exactly makes CFS a ministry? After (almost) five months with CFS, I can answer that question. Yet, it didn’t actually take that long to learn. All it took was meeting and working with Birth Moms.
With one of the recent Birth Moms, CFS helped her with her food, housing and school supplies for her other children, to help her ease stress. She continued to work, even after she was on bed rest, so that she could provide for her children. Every couple of weeks, Jerry and I would make the drive to meet with her. We counseled her as she made the difficult and selfless decision to place her baby for adoption. Yet, it was more than counseling. We built a relationship full of love, trust and respect. It wasn’t “just about the baby.” It was about her.
Soon, the time arrived for her C-Section. Part of her hospital plan was that none of her family would be with her because she thought they would make it even more difficult. So when Jerry asked if she wanted him to go back with her, she became emotional and accepted his offer. Forty-eight hours later, both she and her baby were ready for discharge. It was time for her to sign the papers to voluntarily give up her baby (the rights to parent her child). She loved this baby as much as any mother would. For this mother, life’s circumstances meant she felt adoption was the best option for both her and her child. So she signed the papers. It’s been nearly two months, and we continue to meet and counsel with her to help her work through her grief. She shared how much it meant for Jerry to be with her during delivery because she thought she had to do that part alone. She didn’t expect to have anyone.
CFS is a ministry because of all our donors who make our work possible. We are a ministry because of the countless volunteers. And as I hope I’ve shown in the short description of our work, CFS is a ministry because we have a staff who truly cares about Birth Moms.