Tag: Adopted

The Devil Tried To Destroy Me, But God Meant It For Good

SherryAnn3 Comments

There is so much on my mind tonight so please bear with me as I get through this. This is one of the most difficult blogs that I will probably write. When I found out that I was conceived from rape at the time that I found out finding out that I was born out of wedlock was much harder because I was raised to save myself for my future husband. When I read the words born out of wedlock my heart sank to my stomach I was sick.

I have been reading about things that the unborn baby goes through when the mother is going through things, such as stress, anxiety, depression, and other things. The unborn baby senses that. Reading about it has stirred up some very difficult emotions that I have not dealt with until now. The emotions that I am just now dealing are those that come when I first heard the words conceived from rape. I have been torn up for some time about it to where I am sick. The last few weeks I have had things happen. Some crazy person who read one of my blogs left me a note saying kill me, and I had someone report me on Facebook, and most recently while sharing my story someone cussed my birth mother out and I let them have it. I am so torn up by all of this that I can’t even cry. Whenever I hear the word rapist I will start shaking and I get sick.

Going through this is hard because I have the devil telling me that I am the rapist baby, the daughter of a rapist and I know those are nothing but lies right from the pit of hell. I know in my heart that I am not the rapist baby. God created me for a purpose. I am not the daughter of a rapist, but I am a daughter of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

My birth mother does not like to be called a hero, but she is. She had an aunt that could have arranged for her to abort me at a planned parenthood clinic, but rather she fought for the life of her baby. She fought for my life.  She did what she could do and she placed me for adoption. When she placed me for adoption her one request was that I be placed in a strong Christian home. God granted her request. Don’t get me wrong I am blessed to have been adopted, but many adoptee’s deal with issues that people who are born into the family do not understand and dealing with those issues can last a lifetime.

While the devil meant evil against me, God meant it for good and I am volunteering at a Crisis Pregnancy Center training to help women in a crisis. When we help the woman we will save the baby.

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Sherry Hensley and her Husband Fred reside in Baltimore, MD. Sherry is a Pro-Life Speaker in Maryland-Conceived in Rape, saved from an illegal abortion. She enjoys inspiring others and sharing her faith.

My Mother Was Raped Rejected Abortion, God Has A Plan For My Life

SherryAnn3 Comments

Six years ago while on a trip home to visit my parents, I had the privilege to take a four-hour drive and meet a woman who I have come to know. I admire her for her selfless love, her act of courage in the middle of adversity and her strength. She is my birthmother.

Growing up, I always knew I was an adopted child. My parents did not keep it a secret and they loved me no matter if I was born into the family or adopted into the family. My parents told me growing up that when I reached the age of 18 if I wanted to search for my birthparents, they would help me do it.

For many years, I dealt with some medical issues and had a lot of questions that adoptee’s think about. In January of 2008, I decided to get the non-ID information regarding my adoption. My adoption was a closed case adoption.

The day finally came when the packet arrived in the mail. I was nervous and excited all at the same time. I waited until my husband got home from work to open it. That evening in January of 2008, I opened the packet, and we read it. I was amazed as to what I was reading. I read about my birthmother having taught children that had cerebral palsy. When I read that, I was proud of her for doing that. It did not give very much information about my birth father other than on one of the pages in big letters it says, “Alleged Father.” That is when I got this feeling that something bad happened. After my husband and I finished reading the information he told me I want to get to know your birthmother more. My husband inspired me to search for her. So I called my parents, and I told them that I was going to continue to search for my birthmother.

I wrote my birthmother an outreach statement without any names and emailed it to my caseworker. Several days went by and the days felt more like years. I continued to pray that God would work the situation out because I wanted to know who she was so I could thank her for choosing life.

The day finally came that I received a phone call from my caseworker. She said I have talked with your birthmother, and she wants to have contact with you. The caseworker told me that before she could give me her information; my birthmother wanted me to know the truth. My birth mother was raped. The day that I heard that I was conceived in rape, I chose not to become angry or bitter about my birthfather, and I chose to love my birthfather. You may ask why I chose to love my birth father who is a rapist. Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sins and the sins of my birthfather. I chose to love him through the love of Jesus Christ. That day, God also gave to me a heart filled with so much love and compassion for my birthmother.

It was several weeks later after my birth mother was raped that she discovered that she was pregnant. When she told her mother that she was pregnant, her mother was not thrilled with the turn of events and gave my birthmother three weeks to get out of the house. Her father had passed away in 1967. She then went to live at a home for unwed mothers, and it was there that my birthmother started her healing process. The question went through her mind: what am I to do with this baby? My birthmother had to make a decision. She had no job, no permanent place to live, was not married. My birthfather, of course, was out of the picture. She didn’t even know my birthfather’s name. Her aunt though had an idea. Her aunt could arrange for her to have an illegal abortion with a doctor in Michigan since this was before Roe V Wade.

My birthmother though knew that there was life growing inside of her womb—Life given by God and a gift from God. My Birthmothers favorite verse is:

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

She did not want to disrupt the plans that God had for the tiny life that was growing inside of her. When she decided to place me for adoption, her one request to the social worker was that her baby be placed in a strong Christian home.

Sherry Hospital2bWhen I was born, my birthmother had some complications. She was in the hospital for a week, and I was in the hospital for a week before going to my foster parent’s house. God blessed my birthmother with one week to love, care for and hold her baby girl, Rebecca Ann. My birthmother and I were released from the hospital on the same day, and she then placed me into the hands of God.

When I got in contact with my birth mother, she told me I have always loved you, and you were the beginning of my healing process. She also said What a lot of people don’t realize the baby that is conceived because of rape they can become a strong healing force in the situation. Why? Because out of something that is horrific and traumatic comes a precious human being and the Giver of Life brings healing to the one who suffered.

Yes, my biological great aunt wanted me to be aborted, but my birthmother chose life, and I was protected from an illegal abortion. God was faithful to my birthmother’s prayer. I was raised in a wonderful Christian home where faith was taught, and it was real.

God has been so very good to me, and He has blessed me beyond measure. God has blessed me with amazing parents, a brother who also is adopted, an amazing husband who I love so very much, amazing friends and an amazing church family.

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Sherry Hensley was Conceived in Rape and saved from an illegal abortion. She is adopted and married to a Minister. She is writing her story and soon to be working to get into Public speaking to share her story. Her website is http://www.thevalueoflife.net

To be Accepted

SherryAnn1 Comment

Acceptance

 

Waking up this morning I thought about being accepted. With being adopted I can relate with many adoptees that struggle with rejection issues and have a hard time with being accepted. With being adopted myself I struggled with rejection and acceptance issues. Within the first 8 weeks of my life I was in the hospital for a week and my birth mother and I had some bonding time, than I went to foster care for about 6 weeks and then to adoptive home. A lot of people make think because I was a baby and don’t remember that time that it should not have affected me.

The need to feel accepted and to be accepted is something that everyone at sometime or another probably struggle with. Not an easy thing to go through because then you feel alone and that no one cares. What we forget to remember is that Jesus Christ cares for us and he accepts us.

I was looking for some verses this morning on being accepted and there are some that I want to share.

Ephesians 1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

I am so thankful I have a God who accepts me and cares for me. He sees the sparrow that falls and he sees everything that we do and he cares for us and we are valuable to God.

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Sherry Hensley is a Pro-Life Speaker-Conceived in Rape, saved from an illegal abortion. She is also a blogger for Save the 1. She is married to a minister and loves to inspire others and share her faith.

Adoption God’s idea

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Growing up my parents would read both to my brother and I books and explain to us that we both were adopted. So at a very young age I knew I was adopted.  For me growing up it really was no different. We were a family. We had our moments like all families do.

It makes me sad when I read stories by other adoptees who were mistreated by their adoptive parents. We live in a very negative society. How often do we hear something positive anymore? Not very often. It breaks my heart when there are about 1.25 million abortions and 1.5 million people waiting to adopt. My Birthmother chose adoption for me because of her circumstances and she knew that there where couples out there who could not have children. When she decided to place me she wanted me placed in a strong christian home.  God was faithful to that request.

Growing up in a christian home we learned about Jesus and reading in the bible about the spirit of adoption. Romans 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.  I love how Adoption was God’s idea first and that I can relate very well with Romans 8:15 because I am adopted legally.

We are so special to God that he came to earth put on flesh and paid the price and now we can call him daddy. My parents paid a price and I became legally theirs and from the first moments that I could talk I called them mommy and daddy.

God’s Timing

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It was on August 3rd, 2014 that I had the priviledge to talk with my Pastor for a couple of minutes. I told him that I had found my birth mother and that she was raped and that her aunt wanted her to have an illegal abortion since it was before Roe V Wade and could have arranged it.  My Pastor left on the 4th to go to Africa for about a 3 week missions trip. The very next Sunday Morning one of the Pastor’s Sons got upand preached a message titled “When our mess becomes God’s Message.” He then went on to say that there are alot of people here and the devil likes to use abortion to kill and destory and said there maybe someone here that your parents may have thought about aborting you but they didn’t. In that very moment God spoke to me and told me that I needed to tell it and that I needed to share it.