As a young teenager, Jo Marie found out that she would never be able to physically carry a child. Although this was devastating news to hear, she still had hope that one day she would become a mother. Years went by, and at thirty-years-old and newly married, Jo Marie and her husband pursued adopting their first baby. The adoption costs required them to open a second mortgage on their house, but the anticipation of having a child made every cost worth it! However, to their dismay, the adoption fell through. And then another. And then another. Each adoption ended after doctor visits and spending their life savings on paying for rent and food for the birth moms that took advantage of them. After the fifth failed adoption, Jo Marie’s husband was ready to quit and walk away. However, Jo Marie knew that she could never give up fighting for a child who needed her.
Because of all the failed adoptions, Jo Marie was struggling with her faith and took a long departure from the church. After yet another failed adoption because the mother decided to keep the baby, Jo Marie was at her lowest point. One day, Jo Marie went and sat in the middle of her front yard and cried out to God. She cried out for forgiveness for being selfish and trying make the adoptions happen on her own time. There, on the front lawn, she decided to fully give all her circumstances to God. Once she did that, she immediately felt relief and peace.
Two days later, Jo Marie received a call that a mother had chosen her and her husband to be the parents of her soon-to-be-born baby. The child was due in February and it was November. Upon meeting the birth mother, Jo Marie knew that this woman’s child would be hers. One day in December, Jo Marie felt the urge to pack for the hospital even though it was two months early. Her husband thought she was crazy! But sure enough, they received a phone call from the mother that night saying, “It’s time.” On December 23rd, Jo Marie watched her precious daughter be born into the world and felt immeasurable joy. She received the best Christmas gift she could ask for! Jo Marie’s Christmas gift is an amazing parallel to God’s ultimate gift to us at Christmas: His son. Jo Marie and her husband learned that life was never promised to be easy, but it is always better when God is in control and he always provides what we need!
