Why Foster Care?

Well, I'm glad you asked. Allow me to share with you a few entries from my journal dating back to when we first began this process.

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"You have been the helper of the orphan...O Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their heart, You will incline Your ear to vindicate the orphan and the oppressed, so that man who is of the earth will no longer cause terror."  Psalm 10:14, 17-18

"A father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows, is God in His holy habitation. God makes a home for the lonely; He leads out the prisoners into prosperity, only the rebellious dwell in a parched land."  Psalm 68:5-6

God takes death and transforms it into something beautiful - the pain and sadness is transformed into something that brings glory to Him. Death taught me about God's restorative love. God adopted me into His heavenly family. Levi's life has changed me, transformed me, and through my loss I can love a child that has experienced its own loss. God can redeem and reconcile both losses by uniting us as a family. Time doesn't heal wounds, but it does bring gentleness. I won't ever stop missing my Levi, and adoption won't replace him, but I've learned to love on a whole new level and I'm ready to follow God's gentle lead and love the fatherless.

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"The Lord must wait for you to come to Him so He can show you His love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for His help."  Isaiah 30:18

Lord,
I'm here. I'm ready.

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"I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world."  John 16:33

The death of Levi has been my trial and sorrow these past three years. God has shown me His love and peace through my healing process. I would not consider myself fully healed, yet I am well on my way. I believe we are about to embark on yet another trial with much sorrow, but also countless joy, through fostering to adopt. I do not know how many children will enter my home before I hold the one that is to be mine. But God does. I do not know how long this process will take. But God does. I do not know what kind of horrors these children will have seen. But God does. And they are all in His hands, as are we. I must rely on God through this. Just as He guided us through the heartache of losing Levi, He will guide us through our adoption journey.