Unseen

I've had so many thoughts going around inside my brain lately. Numerous potential blog posts have started formulating. However, there is one thing that I can't quite shake. I sense it is the Holy Spirit reminding me of what is really important. What is it that is making me pause and give much consideration and prayer?  The unseen. The spiritual realm to be more exact. The warfare that is waging all around us.

When I started the process of becoming a foster parent, I took about 40 hours of classes to prepare me for what was to come. I learned about abuse, medications, trauma care, rules, restrictions, requirements, and oh so much more. I was being trained for all sorts of potential crisis situations. All the information given to me would never have prepared me for the unseen. 

Late last night, a couple from my church took in their very first foster child. I had a hard time sleeping because I kept thinking about them and their family. I know how interesting those first nights can be. You see with your eyes the physical needs, and your heart responds to the emotional needs. You don't always think about the spiritual side right away. Your goal is to feed and clothe at the beginning. So every time I woke up to feed Little One, I was praying for them. Praying that the unseen spiritual battle that is ahead of them would not be a shock to them. 

You see, there is a battle going on. A battle for the souls of these children. The enemy wants nothing more than to drag them into the same cycles of addiction, prostitution, poverty, and depravity as their family members. When the least of these is placed in a Christian home, the enemy doesn't like it. He knows that we will fight for and pray over these children. In many ways, the unseen battle is the most important thing. 

So many times, I have been at my wits end trying to figure out how to help the children that have come into my home. I have wrestled with feelings of helplessness. I have wondered if I have done anything right. The meltdowns and tantrums were of epic proportions. The battle of wills seemed endless. Yet those times I allowed myself to stop and see what is truly happening, I would realize that I am in a war zone. When I would shift my eyes to the heavens and do battle over the children, I would begin to see victory. 

The truth of the matter is the children who come into our homes are coming with spiritual baggage. We are opening our homes to the demonic. I wish I was being extreme or joking, but it is the truth. Ask anyone who is a Christian foster parent, they will tell you the same. The war is real. Ephesians 6:12-20 clearly states that we have real weapons to fight the very real battle. 

I have prayed and wept over every single child that has entered my home. Even though most of the cases didn't end in a way that I thought was good, I know that those children left my home covered in prayer and with seeds planted in their hearts. 

If you would, please pray for the foster parents that you know to have wisdom and strength to fight the good fight of faith. There is so much evil in this world. It makes my heart heavy. I'm thankful, though, that I serve the God who is greater than all the darkness.