We hear about so much brokenness in foster care. We hear about foster parents who are not who they claim to be. We hear about foster children who misbehave. We hear about birth parents who time and time again don't do the things they need to do in order to gain reunification. We hear about foster children's broken stories and how it affects them. We hear about how people could never foster children because they would get too attached and heart broken. We hear about how the system is broken! I would be lying if I said there is NO brokenness in foster care. There certainly is.
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However, too often we hear about the brokenness instead of the beauty. And there is beauty. So, I wanted to share with you about the beauty in foster care because THAT is what needs to be shared more often!
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I'll never forget the 1st time I laid eyes on my adopted son's mother and the appreciation we both had for each other! The appreciation for me caring for her son the last 6 months of his life when she couldn't. The appreciation I have for her choosing life for her child over abortion. The appreciation I have for her choosing to sign over her rights to me and my husband so her son could have the life she knew he deserved. THAT is beauty!
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Also the time a newborn boy went back to his birth Grandmother after being in our home for a few months and how she tells me that her sweet Grandson will certainly know who we are one day because she plans to tell him all about us and how we cared for him when his family couldn't. And how she continues to send us pictures and video's of him even though it's been over a year since he has been in our home! THAT is beauty!
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Reminiscing on the time I went to pick up that same newborn above from the hospital only to find his mother holding him and crying. Not knowing what to do, I simply felt the Lord nudge me to sit down beside of her, hold her hand and ask if I could pray with her. As I prayed over her and for her, her tears stopped and she embraced me knowing and trusting that I cared for her too, not just her baby boy! God gave her hope that day and used my willingness to provide that hope to her. THAT is beauty!
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And the time I got to celebrate my adopted son's 4th Birthday (last week actually) when there were days I didn't know if I would be celebrating anymore birthdays with him at all! THAT is beauty!
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The times my biological son has stopped and prayed for the children who no longer live in our home but used to. How he has wanted us to say YES to children even when we couldn't! THAT is beauty!
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The moment when a baby girl is reunified with her mother and that mother not only gets both her daughters back but overcomes addiction and encourages others to do so by sharing her story! And not only that but she graduates college with her family and daughters present! THAT is beauty!
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And the time a little 5 month old baby entered our home and only wanted to be in his crib and didn't like physical touch. But NOW, he lays his head on our shoulder, hugs us, plays with his siblings, smiles more, laughs more & engages more. THAT is beauty.
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The time you see a girl who has been in your home for over a year and really FEELS part of your family now. She has grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins & friends. She no longer feels like she doesn't belong. THAT is beauty.
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Today we live in a world where we can share things with a simple click of a button. We live in a broken world where it can, at times, be much easier to share the bad things over the good things, the brokenness over the beauty and sin over virtue! Yes, there is plenty of brokenness in foster care & some of those things need to be shared and talked about! But our foster care system is FULL of children who simply need someone to NOT see broken when they look at them. Instead, they are looking for someone who see Beauty! Share that! It's worth sharing!
