Oh Lord, how can I let her go? I have been the only parent she knew since she was just days old. I took her in straight from the hospital and have raised her ever wince. Each sleepless night, each colicky day, each bath, feeding, gurgle, and cry. I have been there for all of them. No, I did not carry her in my womb for nine months, but since her birth I am all she has known. Can I trust them to keep her safe? Can I trust them to love her as she deserves to be loved? And how do I let her go when there is no way to be sure of either? Who do I trust to make sure that she is safe and nurtured, fed and clothed, loved and cherished? Who will protect her from the danger that led her to be with me in the first place? Help me, God. Help me and help her. Them them be able to help her. Protect us all from fear, from anger, from lack, from isolation. Give us all strength for the days to come. Give us faith that it will be all right. Give us trust. Give us hope. Amen.
Excerpted from "The Caring Heart Speaks: Meditations for foster, kinship, and adoptive parents" by Gail Underwood Parker
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