It's Sunday morning and as I wake up, I realize that my arms are very sore. Just lifting the pot of coffee brings pings of pain......a reminder of the two little ones I had at my house yesterday.
Most of you know that over a year ago, God placed a passion in my heart to care for those who can't care for themselves. I had been praying about what He had for me after my youngest left for college. What did He want me to do with this new season of life?
Foster care was what He placed in my heart.
As my husband and I prayed about it, we felt Him calling us to provide respite care for foster families. Foster families can't leave their foster children with just anyone for more than 8 hours. If they need to leave town or maybe need a vacation or just a break, they must find a home that is completely certified. We found out it is one of the biggest needs in the foster care system.
We started our certification process last June and in April were declared OPEN.
This summer, we had the JOY of caring for 6 different little ones in our home. Some for 2 days....some for 10....either way, they brought so much JOY with them and left a deep impression on my heart!!
So first the reminder:
God calls all of us to take care of those around us that can't take care of themselves. Maybe you are not at a point to foster but you can help in other ways:
*think about providing respite
*get to know a foster family and provide needs...it costs much more than what the state gives to raise a child....diapers, clothes, formula, a meal
*pray for the foster families you know (or don't)..it's a very broken system and so hard to navigate
Now for the prayer:
We also agreed last Spring to open our home to a young woman who needed a place to stay for 6 months. In doing so, she needed to get back ground checks through DHS because she was staying with us for more than 3 months. We started this process at the end of July and they are still working on it. We can't keep any children for longer than a day until her back ground checks are complete.
I believe satan is fighting hard to keep these children out of christian homes....so many heart breaking stories I could tell you.
Would you pray with me that this process gets competed soon?!! That we would again be open to welcoming these precious little ones into our home?
Thanks!
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27
6 comments:
Praying!
Hi Sarah, I will join you and the other faithful in prayer that God will break down the walls of Jericho in this system and work it out to bring glory to His name! I am so glad I am finally able to read your posts again. I think it was a gliche with my browser. I started using chrome and there you are! I see your posts now! Through God ALL things are possible! Amen!
Wow had no idea but sure makes sense. Pray this goes quickly!
Yes, we are ALL called. I try to encourage people to do the same...find SOMEthing that you can do...it all counts.
And, a reminder to others, just because people become foster parents does mean they feel fully equipped or able. We do it because HE is able.
Here in CT we are fingerprinted electronically. It is puzzling to me why, since its electronic, there isn't a 24 hr turn-around time on these checks. SO many people, in all kinds of fields need them and they are SO backlogged. Crazy.
Most definitely will pray with you on this...
Praying with you...and feeling challenged in this area of need! :)
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