Should I take baby

[Yahsway]

I really need all worthymembers prayers and input.

My niece is due to deliver her 2nd child within the next month. Her mother (my sister) has temporary custody of my neices 1st child and is fighting for full custoday as my niece is sad to say hooked on crack-cocaine and has recently been aressted and is serving jail time.

She most likely will also be charged after the baby is born on crimes of hurting a child thru her drug abuse (in the state of TN there are no laws protecting the unborn as of yet, its not until after they are born that the mother is charged with anything)

Anyways, I am 48 years old, all my kids are grown and gone. My sister is 47 years old has 2 young teenage boys as well as my nieces 1st child and says this baby to be born is more than she can take on right now and that the state will have to take it.

My niece is not married and the man she has been living with also has no chance at getting the baby as he to is a drug addict. His mother wants no part of this soon to be childs life.

I do not have any grandchildren, I am a full time nurse and my husband and I both must work to make ends meet. I am praying for an answer to this as I cant stand to see this child being a ward of the state.

My husband says whatever I want to do is alright with him, but he is 53 years old and has some health problems as of late.

I need prayers for this situation my dear worthy family. I need also input as to maybe things I have not thought of yet, suggestions, advice, any thoughts, ect..

And please pray for my niece. She has brought this on herself and is lost at this time, but she will not get that baby the child welfare services have said, and they give family members the first chance at the child and if the family members will not or cannot take it, then the baby goes into state custoday. My niece says she will not give the baby up for adoption but the judge may take her parental rights away. Thats how it looks right now.

I must go to work now. I thank all of you for any advice, but especially your prayers that God would watch over this little life and have His will be done.

Shalom, Cindy

[ladypeartree]

Cindy I am so praying for your whole family ..I have a daughter who would love to have a child, she and her husband have been trying for over three years and it is very unlikely that they will ever have one ( unless God has decided otherwise )

I would say that this is a very hard decision for you as you may well be doing the right thing for the wrong reason....you sound as if you feel that this child would be best with his/her family but what if the mother tries to remove the child? You need to try to find out if the little one would be adopted or only fostered ...I know the laws there are so very differnt from those here . In Britain we can have "open adoptions " where the child is adopted and raised by a family but the birth family have a right to visit ( about twice a year ) and have regular updates on the childs progress.

You say that you do not have any grandchildren but do you have other family members living close enough and willing to help with raising this little one? If your husband is willing but not 100% committed to raising this child it can put enormous stress on the two of you especially as if your neice has been using drugs during the pregnacy there may be health issuse for the child too.

I wish we were close enough that I could offer help on a practical level but all I can ( and will be doing ) is pray for you

[shepherdsgrace]

Perhaps it will help you to not take for granted that the worse thing is for the state to be the guardian. God may have another family out there that will adopt and give this child excellent loving care. Instead go to God submitting the entire situation to him and allow him to truly lead you without the added pressure of thinking it will be a terrible thing if the state has the custody of the child. God knows the future. He has a plan. Submit yourself and trust him. You can use Phil 4:4-8 as a guide. Be sure there is peace in your heart and in your husband's heart if you do decide to adopt or foster the child. God bless you both.

[Leonard]

May the Lord bring forward a nice young couple to adopt the baby. +

[asap]

Cindy,

In a world that is so lost it is unfortunate that the children seem to be taking more then their share of bad. I would not even venture to give advise to you. I pray for God to answer your hearts cry with an answer that you know was provided by Him. I also pray that your niece find her way out of the pit she is in, in Jesus name.

Amanda

[Yahsway]

Thanks to you all for your prayers and insight into what seems to me to be a most difficult situation. I know there is nothing to impossible for God to do. I talked with my sister last night and she is going to visit her daughter at the jail and try once more to see if she will consider giving the baby up for adoption.

I have made peace with not taking the baby for many different reasons that I wont go into here. It maybe that my sister will take the baby as her husband wants her to but she is not in total agreement with him on the matter.

Butero, thanks for your kind pm, we are not opposed to adoption at all, its just getting my niece to agree to it as well as the father. I will keep all posted as to what takes place. I leave it in Gods hands, thats the best place for it to be right now.

[salos]

My sister in law adopted three children in a similar situation, but I would not be able to do it. So I think you're showing a lot of love and wisdom both. Best wishes, Mary