As many of you know, I opened my home up to two girls on October 18. What many of you don't know is that these girls are not strangers to my home. My girls had gone home August 6, but things didn't go well. I was asked if I would take them back, and I didn't hesitate in saying yes. I was beyond excited to see my girls again!! It took a few days for it to sink in that they were back! I never expected to see them again. The fact that my home had no other children was huge. I could have had a baby and not been able to take them back. Even though their returning is not under the best of circumstances, I sense God's hand on the situation. I strongly believe that they are with me for a reason. There in lies the good news/bad news. It is great to have them back! But this means more emotional trauma for my girls.
I'm not going to lie. Having them here has made me think about the "a" word... adoption. If the opportunity was presented, would I adopt them? Am I capable of taking care of two children by myself? Oh, wait! I already am. lol Can I afford two children? What about school? Do I want to do private or public? Next thing you know, I'm thinking 10 years down the road. Crazy female brain of mine. I take anything and run so far ahead. Then I discovered that I don't need to make a decision right now. No one is asking me to. Let's just say I lost a lot of sleep trying to answer those questions. Many hours of prayer was going into this thought process only to realize that I don't need to figure it out right now.
Foster care is all about reconciliation. Even if or when CPS decides that termination is best, the judge or jury, as the case may be, might decide that the family should have another chance. It is hard as a foster parent to see so many kids hurting. Going back and forth between biological family and foster families is nothing short of stressful and damaging to these little ones. That is why it is so important to be available for those kids that bounce in and out of the system. I was so glad to take my girls again. There was no way I was going to let them go to another family who would be perfect strangers.
The last two weeks have been partly as if they have never left and partly oh my goodness. We could definitely use some prayers.
I'm incredibly thankful that there are churches all over the world acknowledging the need for families for the family-less children. As my pastor stated today, it isn't the kid's fault they aren't in a family. It is the lack of open homes. What if all the churches had families who opened their doors to the fatherless? What would our society look like 20 years from now? Did you know that how large the jails will need to be in the future are based upon how many kids are in the foster system now? What part can you play in changing this? Can you be a family to one of the 500,000 children in the US who are in need of a home? James 1:27 my friends. It is not an option to take care of the widows and orphans. It is a command. May I urge you, my friends, to pray what role you should play.
I love it when you share... and challenge!
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