Our Journey into Foster Care

A few nights ago we sat in our PATH classes and listened to the horrors of children in foster care.  How and why they end up in custody. Never, never is it their fault, although they think it is.  Survival behaviors....that is how they function when they come into foster care. They are fighting to survive even as young as 4 or 5 years old. Once again my eyes are being opened in a new way as to how broken world is. How did this happen...why did this happen to children in our own country? It's days like this that I long for Jesus to come back....to make all things new. So the children and babies in our own country and countries all around the world will know the love of their heavenly Father. The day when there will be no more abuse of any kind, no more nights with no food, no more nights not knowing where they will sleep, no more fear, no more days living without a mommy or a daddy, no more days of despair, and no more survival behaviors because they will know LOVE, finally when Jesus comes back.

Until that day we are left here....to do His work for the fatherless. Steve and I both KNOW even though we might want to run the other direction because this is sad...this is scary and this journey is full of unknowns, we have been called down this road. As we sit learning how "treat" the sexually abused child we both wonder how can we take care of these broken children?  Maybe this really isn't what God would have us do, but we know that isn't truth because we know the truth... "So it is a sin for the person who knows to do what is good and doesn't do it" James 4:17.  Once again God has opened our eyes to something ugly...something we don't want to see...something we don't want to have invade our thoughts all day, every day. But it's too late....now we know and now we must act because if we don't who will?

Our instructor told stories of children she has had in her home. I sat there listening while tears filled my eyes. Children should not be subjected to this...all children deserve so much more.  How did this happen to the children in our backyard?  How did they become victims of their FAMILIES? Where have we gone wrong? Why don't we care....because until we, Christians, begin to care and step up and step out in faith and begin to love these children nobody "wants" it will never end, the cycle will keep going. There are 100,000 children in foster care waiting to be adopted, waiting to know what real love is. This video is Shane Salter, he aged out of foster care never knowing the love of a family.

As much as we realize this journey is full of uncertainty, there is one thing we know..."It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” Deuteronomy 31:8  He will be with us when this life is difficult, and there will be difficult days ahead because life as we know it will change. Life is going to be so much less about us and so much more about Him. For that we are grateful, grateful to be called into the story and love on children many in the world sees as unloveable...no child is unloveable. Children should be allowed to be children....they shouldn't have to be confused by a hug. They shouldn't be pulled out of their homes,  handed their things in a garbage bag and told you will be living here now.  It is happening every single day in our country.

"These children are not someone else's responsibility, they are our responsibility."~Dave Thomas

As much as we would like to continue life as usual....we cannot. We know as  Proverbs 24:12 tells us, "Once our eyes are opened we cannot pretend we do not know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls knows we know and holds us responsible to act."  We have three classes left and then our homestudy. We are expectantly waiting for our first child, or children. Trusting completely in our Father, knowing everything that happens is for our ultimate good and His glory. Praying always He is glorified in our words and our deeds. Because this life isn't about us....
"I have been crucified with Christ it is not longer I who live,  but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20

Blessings...