You can’t bring brokenness into a home and not be broken by it. 

We knew this when we first started our paperwork to become foster parents. Exposing ourselves and especially our babies to the unknown and a different normal than they may be use to. We finally finished the process today and began waiting for what God has in store for our family next. They say that foster care changes a child’s life, but I’m sure its equally true, a process through which God will radically transform ours as well. That’s my prayer anyway. There is so much of the gospel in foster care and so little of the church involved. I don’t know why God has given me such a burden for these kids, but I’m thankful and full of emotion. 

My prayer moving forward-

That God’s presence will continue to fill this home.

That  love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control be practiced. 

That God’s sovereignty will guide us…and We trust God and will do whatever He has called us to do bravely. 

That fostering will profoundly change our family. People always ask if I’m worried about what this will do to my children… and I want to be worried about the effect if my children don’t experience this. I don’t want to create such a tight environment of safety and control (unintentionally) protecting them from brokenness and hopelessness that is neighboring us. But give them a peak into society because I don’t want them growing up pretending this doesn’t exist. My husband are not perfect at raising kids, but so many kids need to be loved and loved well. Prepare our hearts, dear Jesus. 

Foster care is a beautiful expression of the Gospel. It is potentially a painful side of love, its selfless, spiritually and emotionally hard, and potentially costly for the sake of a child gaining some as you willingly give all. Love. It will always worth it. God has put a calling on our hearts to fully love these children while we have them, and accept the costs we may incur as worth it for the gain they may receive. This is exactly what Jesus did for me. 

Let us have courage to live this out.