110: Caroline Bailey | From Barren to Blessed

2021-03-23

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Caroline Bailey joins me to discuss becoming barren at age 11 due to a hysterectomy following a life threatening infection, fostering parenting, adoptive parenting, and working in the child welfare system for 20+ years. Questions Caroline and I Discuss: (1:59) At age 11, a defining event took place in your life. Will you share about that portion of your childhood, the illness you experienced, and a little about that defining event? (8:14) You knew you would never have biological children, but when did you begin ...

Questions Caroline and I Discuss:

(1:59) At age 11, a defining event took place in your life. Will you share about that portion of your childhood, the illness you experienced, and a little about that defining event?
(8:14) You knew you would never have biological children, but when did you begin to grieve that reality and what was that season like?
(11:35) Did you grow up in a family of faith? Were your parents Christians? How was God in your life at that time in middle school?
Through high school, did you continue to think, "Maybe God doesn't love me?" Or were you a typical high schooler and just basically, ignoring what happened?
(18:15) What happened in your 20s that triggered everything to come crashing down?
(25:07) For a woman that can carry the label of barren, God has filled your life with children. What drew you and your husband to begin foster parenting?
(32:37) How did you end up adopting your youngest two children?
(38:11) What are some of the positive changes you have seen in the child welfare system during the last 20 years?
(41:26) In regards to child welfare, is there anything you would like to see the body of Christ do better?

Quotes to Remember:

"[M]y pediatrician came back into town and read my chart....[H]e called an OB GYN who did some exams on me and did exploratory surgery and when they opened me up, my uterus was completely full of infection.... The infection was leaking into my bladder....[T]hey realized they had to do a hysterectomy, because my uterus was so expanded with infection that if it ruptured, it would have killed me instantly."

"I knew from the very minute I woke up from surgery, that I couldn't have kids....I didn't fully understand the impact of it because I was only 11, but I immediately started to internalize feeling lesser than."

"I think there was two sides to me....My nickname when I was young was little trooper.... so in my head, I'm like, I'm a trooper, I'm just gonna be strong, because that's what I have to be is strong....But I really thought I would never be loved by someone. Who would want a wife that couldn't have babies."

SHOW NOTES cont.

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