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 . . .
