Julia's Story

Guest blogger Julia Moore is a Christ Follower, wife, stepmom, birth mom and adoptive mom. She loves studying God's Word and discovering who God is and who she is because of his faithfulness and love.

I’m in an adoptive mom study/support group called, A Place I Didn’t Belong. I like taking classes. I like teaching classes. I’m crazy about learning. And I’m in a delicious season of life where I have time to actually go to class, participate and research beyond the study. Like many moms, I began my parenting journey with noble expectations. And some of us experienced a collision between our expectations and the realities. Our children have compromised beginnings and we bring our childhood wounds into the picture. I found myself in a place I didn’t belong… expected or not. My journey was derailed.

But so was Joseph’s; his story is in the book of Genesis. A favorite son of a rich man named Jacob, Joseph had high expectations. But he ended up in a foreign land purchased as a slave. He worked hard and became successful. Then, ouch, he was accused of an unthinkable crime; a crime deserving death. But The Lord was with him. Tossed into prison for years, Joseph was in a place he didn’t belong - for a long time. You know the rest of the story. He became Pharaoh’s CEO and saved the day. He had a new family, a good job and great benefits. Oh, until his family showed up and all those wounds tucked deep inside came pouring out. Triggered by memories of betrayal he reacted in anger and frustration. He even lied a few times. He responded like I sometimes do when faced with a painful situation.

And consider Jesus, our perfect example. We also find Him in a place he didn’t belong. We’re talking about the son of God living in the splendor of heaven; then God asked him to come to earth. Born into a world of limitations he was raised by people with issues and wounds. Though He grew in favor with man and God, those limitations were still there. He came to help us, save us, redeem us, and show us the way back to God. Yet He was despised, rejected and scorned. He understood sorrows. He lived as an example for me and every adoptive mom who found herself in a place of bewilderment (wait a minute, it wasn’t supposed to be this way), anger (why am I acting so harshly), or frustration (maybe I wasn’t supposed to adopt).

I am healing through the book and the weekly class of women I’ve come to love. They share their stories and I share mine. I heal when I see myself in the lives of people in the Bible. I also heal when I see myself in these women who long, like me, to know they’re on the right track, even if it’s painful. I heal when I’m not isolated but in community. I need a group of like-minded people who will walk the journey with me.

God bless you,

Julia

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