If you are reading this through your e-mail inbox you will have to click onto the blog site to see the above video (I think)?
I am working on a couple posts about my testimony but in the mean time I have some very cool news! We were finally licensed for foster parenting last Wednesday. We were warned that we may just get a call the same day but instead we got a call the next day.
It was just for respite care. The definition of respite care is basically extended babysitting. Something a foster parent can ask for this in order to go out of town or if they just need a breather, yet have their foster child still maintain visits with biological relatives and continue school attendance. Our first visitors that came into our home was a 4 year old boy who shared Ben's birthday and a 12 month old little girl. Your heart would melt if I could show you a picture of how precious they are. They visited with us for 4 days. Ben and the boy celebrated their birthdays together on October 30th which was very sweet. The boy was quite well adjusted but the little girl was very clingy to me. Praise God she would also be fine if one of the girls kept her company as well.
When we arrived at church on Sunday this was one of the worship songs that was sung. Knowing how much this little girls had clung to me over the days that we had her, I couldn't help but realize she had a fear of people leaving her. She shead a lot of tears when that fear would come to surface. I couldn't help but tear up when the lyrics of this song were brought to a fresh perspective.
"Found in your hands fullness of joy every tear suddenly wiped away, here in your presence"
We are entering a world where there is a lot of fear, tears and pain. We are taking on this pain in no other way but because Jesus calls us to enter in to suffering of the weak.... to carry their burden with a self-less love. (Rom 15:1-6)
It is interesting the responses I get from people who see our extra brood. Many of whom tell me "I don't know how you do it. I could never do that!" Although we are still in the honeymoon stage of this, it is easy to respond...... Our faith in Christ calls us to die so that we might have an abundant life. We simply can not expect to live an exponential life of faith when we decide to keep fear in our back pocket. Fear of heart-break, fear of failure, fear of loss, fear of the unknown, fear of the loss of control. Fear keeps us from making too big a risk, relinquishes life abundant in trade for the shackles of complacency. It is when we yield unto death to self and possibly enter into pain, that the boldness of Christ diminishes fear that once held us captive.
The most awesome thing the Lord reminded me of lately was from the OT when the leader of the Isrealites would loose the ability to carry the burden alone, God told them to gather up support for themselves, to encourage them to keep going. In Numbers 11:16-18 and Deuteronomy 1:11-13 he tells us that there is wisdom and great strength in numbers. Surrounding ourselves with people who will share our burden for these kids is exactly where we have been blessed in our church family! No shortage of showering these kids with the love of Christ and offering to help us if we say the word! We also look forward to Grandma & Grandpa moving in down the street from us come January as well.
Our first visitors went back to their foster parent today but now there is another little one visiting with us for about a week. A precious little girl who is a tad bit medically fragile but thriving in spite of her humble beginnings. The kids all seem to be enjoying someone to dote on. We continue to covet your prayers as we continue this process. Babysitting (respite) is the easy part. It is when there becomes a permanent placement that we will need to cling to Jesus's promises rather than let the fear of "what if" haunt us.
PS. For those of you who are interested in the adoption process through foster care I may need to move this to a blog that will be marked private. I do this so I have the ability to share things that normally may not be able to be as public. This blog can be viewed by anyone where as the foster care blog would only be open to invited readers. I will keep you up to date on that when I have the time to invest in another pondering place!
