Listening to a program on public radio this morning reminded me of a wonderful experience I had several years ago. I had been counseling a young woman from the community who (among many other issues) had had an abortion and then later gave birth to a son whom she had given up for adoption. So she was grieving for the child she had lost and for the one she had graciously given up to another family. She desperately wanted to know how her grown son was doing, but because of the adoption arrangements made years before she had no way of contacting him.
Through a series of extraordinary events (that I can only ascribe to God's providence in an Internet age!), this young man (who was also desperately wishing to meet his biological mother) found me and asked if I would put him in touch with his birth mother. Through another equally extraordinary series of events, I was finally able to bring them back together. (When I first saw him, I realized that I could have easily picked him out of a crowd -- he is certainly in his mother's image!) What a privilege for me to be a part of that process!
I wish I could tell you that "they all lived happily ever after." Unfortunately, the young man has had some legal and emotional problems that have brought pain to his family and now to his biological mother. But, even so, she wouldn't trade meeting him and keeping up with him for anything.
There are privileges in being a pastor that other people can't imagine. (Challenges and struggles as well -- but incredible privileges and joys.) And for me, this was one of greatest of my ministry.
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