Very Proud

There are moments in my day that make me scream with frustration. There are moments in my day when I am at a total loss because I feel like a failure as a mom...like I am not doing anything right. There are moments in the day when I feel like giving up. Thankfully, there are other moments in my day than just those. Thankfully, there are many many moments in the day when I laugh so hard I couldn't imagine something be any funnier. Thankfully, there are moments that I see one of the girls helping others, or doing something that is hard for them to do. Thankfully, there are many moments when I look at the girls and feel so proud and so in awe that the Lord has chosen me to walk with them in their journey.
This month is Foster Care Month. It has really got me thinking. Of course I think about where my girls would be if they were left in the biological home. I also think about where they would be if they were left in the foster care system. Foster Care is awesome...it is awesome to be able to take care of a child and help them through a traumatic situation. BUT the truth is...the foster care system is difficult to go through. It is hard for both foster parents and foster kids. There is abuse that happens in FOSTER homes. Foster parents get tired of navigating through the system and they give up...leaving children off to yet another home. When a child moves from home to home, they get their hearts broken. They learn to guard themselves and to not trust people. When foster kids get moved out of a home, foster parents get their heart broken. It is a hard system. It is heart breaking. BUT....this is what I have learned...it is WORTH the risk!!! It is WORTH the risk of getting my heart broken (and yes...our hearts have broken each time children left our home). YES, we did get attatched and it hurts when they leave, but it is WORTH it!!! It is SO worth it!
Today, the foster care recruiter for our county brought our church bracelets. On each bracelet is the name of a child in our county who is in foster care. We get to pass the bracelets out, and every child in our county will be specifically prayed over....AWESOME!!! Well, I passed some of the bracelets out tonight, and some children were taking them. As they took them, their dad was explaining that they got to pray for the child whose name was on the bracelet because they were in foster care. Of course they asked what foster care is, and the dad began to explain. My girls were there looking on and listening to the conversation. They were not ashamed that they were once in foster care. They were excited. They were excited that people were learning about foster care...I could see it in their eyes. And M stepped in and added to the explanation of foster care. As I stood there and watched her talk, I was amazed. I was SO proud!!! I was so proud that 1-they are open with their story 2-that they are passionate to help others get involved to help kids in foster care. AMAZING!! Thank you Lord!
I totally realize not every person is called to do foster care. I know that. I know people are called to different things. BUT...I also know that we are called as Christians to take care of the children without parents...we all have different roles in taking care of these children. Please join me in praying for children in foster care...pray that they would be comforted when they move homes, that they would be able to find someone they can trust, pray that they would FEEL loved! Pray for foster parents as it is often a struggle dealing with the system, pray that they would be able to understand their kiddos and where they come from, pray that they would take the risk and love these children whole-heartedly!!!