Reading List

** Note to self: Omit from printed blog book.

A month or so ago, I purchased a book that I kept hearing about entitled Silent Tears. It is based upon the author's diary of her four years at a Chine*e orphanage. Since I have had several holds on books at the library, I have set it aside. On Sunday, I finished another book that was centered around adoptions from China entitled The Red Thread (As a side note, there are a few sexual elements in the book). Although this book was fiction, I was taken back. This book followed families in the United States as they pursued adoption from China as well as the birth moms/fathers in China. Wow! Okay, if you know anything about adoptions from China, you know that these children are typically abandoned. With the number of children abandoned each and every day, I do not believe I let my heart go to the situations surrounding the abandonment of the child. I knew in my heart that it must have been very emotional on the birth mother's part and that she was truly giving us a treasured gift, but I just didn't factor in the heart wrenching stories that might be surrounding the story of each child. Yes, these were fictional characters and stories, but I can't help but believe there was some element of truth to them. I was putting the abandonment issue in one little box assuming that although it was difficult at first that it was so common place that it was just something that they did. I did not factor in the pressure from the husband, the possible loss of a spouse, shame brought on to the family, hatred from the extended family, and that the mothers had absolutely NO choice. Call me naive, call me ignorant, or whatever. I think that my heart just was not ready to go there... So, since I am still waiting for the other books on my hold list at the library, I am starting Silent Tears. I believe that this is going to be another shocking realization for me and I don't know why these books have come together in this time (not read any adoption books since we had to read for adoption hours). But, I hope to gain a clearer understanding of my children's past, an even greater heart for the plight of the orphans in China, and that God will use me!!