The Rose Garden Celebrates Adoption at A Baby’s Breath

It started with a prayer, followed by a signal grace, then a miracle.  Now it’s a new mission.

Here’s how, from my perspective, The Rose Garden Adoption Support Group began at A Baby’s Breath:

The Prayer

Have you ever heard of the Novena Rose Prayer?

It’s a simple prayer, in which a Christian asks St. Therese of Lisieux to pray for him or her and asks for a specific intention to be placed before the Lord.

My Novena Rose Prayer

O Little Therese of the Child Jesus,
please pick for me a rose from the heavenly gardens
and send it to me as a message of love.

O Little Flower of Jesus,
ask God to grant the favors I now place
with confidence in your hands . .

(Mention specific requests)

St. Therese, help me to always believe
as you did in God’s great love for me,
so that I might imitate your “Little Way” each day.

Amen.

In January of 2015 I prayed this novena to Saint Therese’ for two of my friends and for the intention that Matt and I would be blessed with another child.

A Signal Grace?

Confession: I googled signal grace right before I wrote this.  I think it might have been a signal grace; but I’m really new to that concept . . .Here is what I believe may have been a signal grace:

On the eighth day of this novena Matt and I went to a surprise birthday party. It was held in a two-bedroom apartment in Philadelphia. Almost immediately upon arriving I noticed roses everywhere.

There were vases and vases of rose bouquets. There was even a vase of roses in the bathroom. The tablecloth had roses on it, the cups had roses on them – literally everywhere you looked – roses. It was so overwhelming I actually started counting the roses in the vases (I’m the life of the party, I know). I stopped counting at 80.

Yes, eighty.

The Miracle

A short while after (possibly a month), I sat down to write a letter to a local crisis pregnancy organization. This organization is called A Baby’s Breath and has five centers in driving distance from our home. A friend of mine suggested we send our adoption profiles to them . . . maybe they would know of a young woman considering adoption.

As I was writing the letter, I heard a friend request notification go off from my Facebook page. It was the President of the organization, Karen Patota – the very person I was writing a letter too! I had never met her. I didn’t even know her name until she sent that request.

Why was the President of ANY organization friend requesting me?  And the person who I just happened to be typing a letter too????  I accepted that friend request . . . then I inboxed her.  I wrote: “your not going to believe this, but I am typing a letter to you right now!”

Within a week, Karen invited Matt and I to speak about our desire to adopt at A Baby’s Breath’s leadership conference. Matt and I had plans that day, so at first I declined.  But after I declined I thought, this is an incredible gift and opportunity.  Matt and I talked, and we decided that he and our son, Xavier would go about the day as planned; but I would attend the Leadership Conference on our behalf.  As I sat at that conference waiting to speak, I learned that the patron of this organization is . . . St. Therese’ – the saint to whom I prayed the novena!!!

Since that time the President of A Baby’s Breath, Karen Patota,  and I have started an adoption support group. In honor of Saint Therese’, it is called The Rose Garden. Matt and I are still hoping and praying to be blessed with another child. But, it’s probably just a matter of God’s time.

A New Mission:

The Rose Garden is meant to provide four main services:

1.  A place of prayer and thanksgiving to Our Lord.

2.  The Rose Garden is a place to find support.

3.  The Rose Garden is a way to not only support adoptive families, but also a way to let women know about the option of adoption.

4.  The Rose Garden is a local and national group.

Are you considering adoption?  Are you on the road to adoption?  Have you already adopted?  If the answer to any of these questions is yes, and you would like to be a part of our prayer group, click here: The Rose Garden Group on Facebook

Not on Facebook, but want more information?  Email me, Amy, at rosegardenabb@gmail.com

Are you interested in learning more about A Baby’s Breath?  Click here to visit their website:A Baby’s Breath

Will you pray for all of us hoping to adopt?  Will you pray for women who are considering an adoption plan for their babies?  That would be so wonderful!  Please comment below if you will pray for us – it will bring so much hope! If you do, thank you!

God Bless You!