My family has been serving in foster care for the past two years. This type of ministry can be all consuming. I have not posted much. I’ve heard over and over again how we’re heroes. How they could never foster their hearts would break too much.
I find this statement ignorant at best offensive at worst. We are far from heroes. My family’s heart has been bruised but not broken only by the grace of God.
I was fearful going into this ministry. My family had been through so much. Why would a good God ask for my family to go through more. But then I reasoned, God had placed this on our hearts, we serve a restorative God, and God is near the broken hearted. I knew God would be with and for my family.
It has been a journey. We went into foster care with the hopes of helping and if possible expanding our family. We believed that if we were stratigic enough we could protect our hearts. If we asked the right questions, took in the highest risk kids, asked for older children, then we wouldn’t have to grieve the loss of a child leaving. We were selfish.
In the midst of fostering our mind set changed. We went from not wanting our hearts to break to wanting our hearts to hurt for the sake of others. We turned down adoptions and prayed for the right family for the child, we prayed for every bio parent of the children in our care, and we worked with bio parents to reunify. I began to see God in the midst of such brokenness . (Job 42: 5-6)
God’s love was shown. God love was evident in the adoption of our son, in the adoption of other children that we could have adopted but didn’t and having a small part in them being in their forever home, in bio parents being reunified. God’s goodness shines in the brokenness.
When my selfish ways would come. I was tired of caseworkers, advocates, bio parents, agency requests, or a child being a child that acts out. God would lay on my heart the story of the Samaritan. (Luke 10: 25-37)
I would ponder if the Samaritan had a family. If it was inconvenient to pay for medical and lodging. If the Samaritan’s family sacrificed time and energy to love their neighbor.
I would repent of my selfishness sometimes daily even sometimes by the hour. I try to love others well but I need God’s grace. I need grace to cover being tired and worn out to injustices.
My family is doing foster care for one more year and then we are done. God has another ministy for us. I am incredibly thankful that God entrusted us to serve in this way. It has been hard but beautiful. I would encourage anyone to fear not, God is with you, and take on the hard whatever that might be.