Why Foster?

Reason #189:

Because they are Worth IT.

 

I got this from this blog.

  If you haven’t noticed, I frequently love things from this blog.

 

I grow increasingly convinced that God values children much, much more than we do.
We value a clean floor more than children. We value free time more than children. We value the good dishes more than children. We value going out to eat or watching grown-up television shows more than we value children.
All the world, including the church, tells us that children are a bother, perhaps even a mistake. If you don’t believe that, introduce a family with many babies into your church and see how long it takes for someone to say, “They know what causes that, don’t they?”
We have let the world convince us that a large family is a curse, when the Bible clearly teaches that many children are a blessing, a sign of God’s great favor.
If I had the choice right now, there would be more children in my family. And I think I might be brave enough to let God decide how many.
I remember that it seemed a little frantic around my house when the children were little. I never got “it all” done, whatever “it all” is. There was not much privacy or money or free time. There was lots of laundry and garbage and stinky stuff. The boys were going to be 2 and 4 forever. It was never going to end.
Don’t get me wrong - I enjoyed my boys. But it was all colored by that worldly, selfish, hurry-up-and-grow-up attitude. And then it was over. I woke up one morning and they were almost as tall as me. The next day, or so it seemed, they didn’t even live with us. Now there is not much garbage or laundry or stinky stuff. And there is much more privacy and money and free time.
I’d trade it all in a heartbeat.
I would do laundry around the clock if it meant I could have one more day with my little boys in my home. I want the piles of blue jeans back. If my family had been larger, perhaps I would have grown in wisdom and learned to treasure the tiny victories and agonies of everyday. Perhaps not, but at least it would have lasted longer.
You think they’ll be little forever. You can’t imagine being able to handle – afford – care for another little life. But you can. And it will be over before you know it, with plenty of years left to use the good dishes.

Amen.

Fitting.

I just heard this song today for the first time, and thought that it was fitting for the post yesterday.  Cool video too.

Just one.

  Since starting this journey toward Africa (eventually we’ll be able to say ‘in Africa’!!)  I have heard several times, “Well, you can’t save them all.”

 

Oh goodness.  Don’t get me started.  But you already have.

Of all the reasons various people may think we shouldn’t go, please, please don’t use this one.

 

When did just one become so insignificant to us?  I know that we can’t save them all.  (In fact, I know that we can’t save any children at all – we’ll leave that one to the Big Guy.)  I am aware of the vastness of the problem, and it’s one of the very reasons that we are going. 

When we hear that nearly 30,000 children will die from preventable causes before we lay our heads on our pillows tonight, it seems like too much.  If you live in a large town – really anything short of a city – it is like waking up tomorrow morning to find that all of the children in your town are dead.  And that they all died of something that could have been prevented. 

If that happened, we would expect it to be international news.  For weeks.  We would expect someone to look into the matter until it had been solved.  Until we had answers.  Until we knew it wouldn’t happen again.

But it will happen today.  And it will happen again tomorrow.  And NBC, CNN, and FOX will find better things to report on.  Yet I keep hearing,

“You know, you can’t save them all.”

 

I sure am glad I’m on this side of the equation.  Because if it were me, if I were living in a third world country and had no means to support my family, no clean water to give my children – If it were me, and I was sitting there rocking my Sylvia in my arms knowing that she was starving and there was nothing I could do about it,  I would be on my knees begging that someone would think it was worth it to save

just one.

That someone could see the beauty and worth, the woman that God created her to be, that I see when I look into her eyes.  When God looks into her eyes.

In eyes like

this, and

this, and

 

these.

 

And I praise God that we serve a savior that would do anything for just one.

“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them.  Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?  And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home…..I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents  than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.”

                                                             -Jesus

I am so thankful that I serve a God who finds it all worth it for  just one.

Why Foster?

Reason Number 389:

Because even after all of this,

it is still worth it.

 

Because even with all of the challenges we will

still do everything in our power to make sure the boys

know that we will always love them.

 

Because even after all of the unknown, and the hurt

it is worth every tear.

 

Because even the hard goodbyes only mean

we’ve loved each other well.

 

Because it is worth it.

And they are worth it.

 

And even when things get really tough, and you can’t really

remember why you do all of this,

God whispers in my heart,

There are more.

And they need you.

And they need to know my love.

And it is worth it.