When We Say Yes . . .

We did it! We started the licensing process last November and as of today we have been notified that we are officially a Licensed Foster Family. We are excited and a little nervous about what lies ahead but are confident our God goes before us.
     So what does this mean? This means that at any given time we could receive a phone call about accepting a child into our home. It means that we may show up with extra children in our family and they may be different each time.  You may hear children you do not know calling us 'Mommy' and 'Daddy' or many other titles. When we say yes to a child, we are saying that we will love and accept them for who they are and where they come from. When we say yes to a child we are promising to provide a safe place for them to live, dream and grow. When we say yes to a child, we have no idea how long they will be with us or if or when they will get to go home.  When we say yes to a child, we are promising to love them like our own while still remembering they are not. Our main goal is to provide a safe resting place while working towards reuniting them with their birth families. This is the heart of God. He created families to be together. It was HIS original plan. When we say yes to a child, we are saying we are willing to experience pain and heartbreak so they can know love and wholeness. When we say yes to a child, we are taking their story into our family and guarding it like our own. Their story is not ours to share and we won't be sharing it. Imagine with me your worst parenting moment. (You know that time you're are most ashamed of. That time when you lost your temper or made a not-so-great decision.) Now imagine that moment being replayed over and over again on a jumbo tron. No matter where you go or what you do, this moment keeps resurfacing and is never forgotten. This is what some parents are dealing with on a day to day basis. Yes, they have made mistakes and the consequences will be life changing, but nothing they have done is too great for our God to forgive! They deserve our respect and forgiveness too!
     In one of our Foster Parenting Classes, we were asked to write a letter to the biological parents of our foster kiddo.  This is a small part of our letter. This is our heart . . .  

    Dear Parents,
           If you are reading this letter, then it is finding you at a difficult time in your life. My family and I want to express our deepest sympathy. We need you to know that you will receive no judgement from us. We do not know your life story nor what has led you to this day, but we do wish to get to know your child. We understand that though mistakes have been made, you love your child and want him/her to be safe and happy. We want to work together and extend you grace (as it was extended to us by our Lord and Savior.) We want to encourage and walk beside you as you start putting the pieces of your family back together. We have all made mistakes and are broken people, but there is nothing that you have done that is beyond the grace of God. He can take the broken pieces of our lives and make something beautiful. We believe God created families to be together and we want to see your family restored as well . . . We believe that love is endless and can grow. We believe that a child can love more than one set of parents. While your child is with us, we will do our best to make them feel a part of our family while still helping them maintain a healthy relationship with you, if at all possible. We will never speak badly about you to anyone, especially your child. We pray for and look forward to the day when you can be permanently reunited with your child. We hope you can open your hearts to us as we already have to you. We pray that we can all work together with the best interest of your child in mind. Please know that you are in our thoughts and prayers!

     When we say yes to a child, we are saying yes to a lot of unknowns. We are new to this journey and this is basically going to be on the job training!!  We know this will not all be easy and we know we will experience pain, anger, sorrow and everything in between. We appreciate all your prayers, patience, and encouragement as we navigate this new road. ​