Are We Insane? - Part 2

Honestly?  Are you insane?  Why would you do such a thing? 

The questions were prompted by the recent addition of a new foster child into our home.  A decision that my husband and I did not make lightly.  A decision that headed us in the direction that we felt the Lord was leading us.  It was an act of obedience and surrender to what we believe to be His will for our family.  And now the questions from well-intentioned friends and family members are hurtful and unsupportive.  They remind me, once again, that being a foster parent can be a lonely, isolating, misunderstood path.

Honestly, I don’t know why it is so difficult to understand why we would “do such a thing.”   When God’s Word says to “care for the orphan,” we believe that it is a command, not a suggestion for a select few who have nothing better to do with their time and energy.  There are many, many ways to care for orphaned and vulnerable children – as many different ways as there are talents and personalities and resources – and welcoming foster children into our family is the way that we are able to obey God’s command.  It is our way of using our talents and personalities and resources to make a difference in the lives of fatherless children.  It is our calling.

Honestly?

Do you question our sanity because Foster Care has such a negative connotation?  Because the government-run system has such a notorious reputation for being broken and ineffective?  Is it because of your misconception that it is the fault of the children themselves that they are placed in foster care?  That they are “bad?”  Is it because the children only stay temporarily, instead of becoming a permanent part of their foster families?

Perhaps it’s time to question your perspective, and to challenge you to look at Foster Care through a different lens . . .

Are We Insane? - Part 1

Honestly?!  Are you insane?  Why would you do such a thing?

The questions sting and they momentarily dampen my enthusiasm, but they are not altogether unexpected.  Not everyone is a huge fan of me and my family and our long-term ministry as foster parents.  It does seem insane.  For those who do not have the passion to provide a safe and loving home for a vulnerable child, it does defy comprehension.  What can I say?

My husband and I have been thinking and praying about taking another “placement” for a few months, and in our human perspective of things, we thought that an elementary-aged child would fit perfectly into our family.  However, when we received “the call” and heard the story of the precious newborn in need of a temporary family, we knew almost immediately that we would say yes.  That she was the one whom the Lord was asking us to love.

We are a Family

As each child’s face flashes across the large screen in the front of the auditorium, each picture more adorable than the one before, everyone in the congregation oohs and ahhs.   The picture of little girl with the pink bow, the bow that attempts to contain her blond curls.  The photo of the sleeping baby boy wrapped in a hand-knitted blanket.   The image of the twins lying end to end like two peas in a pod.  Someone from the tech team had added a beautiful soundtrack to the slideshow – a sweet song about children being treasured gifts from the Lord.  It is so stirring and tender, that a few people here this Sunday have to brush away a tear or two.  There are few creatures more precious than an innocent child.  Few people more proud than a new parent.  Few moments more solemn than when a parent stands in front of the Church and dedicates that child to the Lord.   

When the slideshow ends, the new parents bring their children forward for the dedication ceremony.  These sweet children in real life are even more adorable than their pictures!  Families make their way towards the front of the auditorium.  Grandparents sneak into the aisles to snap pictures.  Others in the audience crane their heads to get a better look.  The children themselves are oblivious to the significance of the occasion.  They are just content to be held in their parents’ arms.