You never know when, in one day, in one
ordinary moment, your life will be forever changed. You’re going about your daily routine, distracted
by busyness, when unexpectedly, love and magic happen.
One day, almost 4 years ago, I answered the ringing
phone, an automatic response that I have done thousands of time. The social worker on the other end of the
line asked me if I would be willing to care for a special-needs, severely
medically-fragile baby boy. Sometimes I have had to decline because of
circumstances or due to poor timing or simply from lack of peace. But this one day, after praying for the
Lord’s direction and discussing the situation with my husband, I said yes. Yes, I would welcome this frail child into my
life, and yes, I would do my best to provide for his needs and to love him as
my own as long as he was in my care.
One day turned into another. The days steadily added up to weeks, and in
spite of the extreme difficulties of caring for this child, we slowly settled
into a routine that felt “normal” for our family. One day looked pretty much like the one
preceding it: administering and adjusting medication, charting medical and
developmental details, scheduling doctor’s appointments, working with
therapists. It was nothing miraculous,
nothing extraordinary . . . just waking up each morning and choosing to be
faithful to do what the Lord had called me to do.
He was just a baby boy, so tiny and weak. Every breath was a struggle, every movement
painful. One day looked pretty much like the one preceding it: fitful naps; frequent choking and vomiting;
countless unknown strangers in white coats, touching, poking, pricking,
squeezing. Through it all, there was one
person who never left his side. She was
with him 24/7, always available to comfort him when he needed it. She sang softly into his ears, melodies
letting him know that Jesus loves him, and reminding him that God’s grace is
amazing. She knew just how to hold him
so that it didn’t hurt quite so much.
She was his foster mother.
