Why? That’s a good question. Why do we
foster? That can probably be answered differently depending on the day, or
honestly, my mood. What first peaked my interest into the foster care world was
the equal need between my arms needing the weight of a baby and a baby needing
the security of my arms. God opened the doors of fostering both by paving the
way to our being licensed and by opening the doors of our hearts. I’d be crazy
to look back on this journey and think anything less than this being the plan
all along.
When Baby A came home I realized that I
spent a lot of time preparing for something impossible to prepare for. The love
I felt for her was intense and instantaneous. I realized, looking at her that
first night, that her all of 3 day old self knew more brokenness than most
adults. I was about to see God build beauty from brokenness.
I’d like to put on my rosy glasses and
think that the dimpled hands and chubby thighs keep me in foster care but the
reality is the brokenness, abuse, pain… and hope keep me here. This system is
terribly flawed towards our children and it’s quietly become my mission to
stand in the gap for our kids. There’s a burning desire in my heart to love
them well. To teach them their worth. To give them connection, attachment, trust,
and unconditional love. To let them be little.
Day 5 of #knittogetherbyadoption asks
about RAISING AWARENESS.
On of the things I’m most passionate about
is teaching people the MANY ways to get involved in foster care. Before we were
licensed I’ll be honest – I didn’t know much about foster care or the depth of
the need. When we went to get involved it was as foster parents because I was
unaware of the many avenues we could have served prior to feeling lead to grow
our family this way.
Firstly, let me tell you we are NOT any
better, different, more special, etc. AND we experience no less pain over the
trauma of our kids than anyone else would. I do believe you have to have a
calling to foster. It’s a job and its tough – no doubt about that. BUT everyone
IS called to serve and there are so many ways in which to serve these beautiful
children.
A few ways to immediately serve is
volunteering a couple hours a month to mentoring kids. Depending on their ages
you may be grabbing coffee and chatting, helping with homework, helping job
search, throwing around a basketball, reading books, or snuggling the youngest
of these. One of the ways we, as a family, have been served is through meals
when a new babe comes. The first week especially is tough. Not only is the
family adjusting but you spend A TON of time on the phone between social
workers, getting the kids medical insurance set up, etc. There’s a lot of
“business” to get done in that first week which takes precious bonding time
away. When a meal is brought over I can’t tell you how blessed we feel!
Donating to the county, Foster Family
Agencies, group homes, etc. is also a great way to get involved. Most of the
time kids are taken out of a dangerous situation quickly. Most kids come into
care with what’s on their back. Some maybe have a trash bag with a couple
things. Hopefully they fit. Aside from bringing in clothes, toys, or
toiletries, there are amazing organizations fighting for foster kids to have a
little normalcy. Together We Rise is one of our family’s favorite
organizations. You can buy and decorate packs from them. Their packs are duffle
bags and they come with a teddy bear, blanket, and a few other things for the
kids. More times than not a child is moved with a trash bag. Shame would be a
good way to describe this but Together We Rise helps eliminate that. They truly
are an incredible organization! PLUS the decorating parties are a blast!
There’s seriously a way for EVERYONE to
get involved in serving these children. After all, in 5,10,15 years, these
children are the adults of our society. They need us now. Whether you can give
an hour a week, an hour a month, or an hour a year, every minute of your time
is worth SO much for these kids! AND I guarantee you’ll feel more blessed at
the end than anything!
As always, please reach out if you need resources
on how to get involved in your area!
No comments:
Post a Comment