Something else many of you may not know is that we are foster parents.
Through the struggle of infertility and problems with my previous job, though, we chose to close our home while we sought direction on where to go and how to proceed.
In December of 2013, after being devastated by the news that we would not be getting the sweet baby whom we both loved so much only a couple of months before, we decided that we wanted to continue the foster process so we opened our home to a sweet 4 year old girl who needed us for about a month before being reunited with her siblings under the care of family members. This little one was sweet, feisty, and more than we were ready to handle when we got her. She spent that Christmas with us, which was fun, and then in January was taken back to her grandparents. After that month we decided that with the continued stress of Drew's job at ACH and my changing jobs that we were not able to fully provide the love and stability that children in foster care need and deserve, so we closed our home. We stayed current with all the state visits and requirements, we just weren't accepting kids.
When I left ACH for my current position in October of 2013 it offered so much more with flexibility and financial provision that it was just what we needed at that time. Soon after the new year Drew also got a new position that provided more financial stability and consistent hours that allowed him to be home for dinner every night, which I was (and still am) so thankful for. We started to discuss the possibility of opening our home again around the middle of 2014. Not long after that we started having fertility problems and I was diagnosed with endometriosis and had surgery. At that point I decided my heart couldn't take caring for other peoples children while we were struggling to have our own. Now, almost a year after that decision, we have prayerfully decided to open our home and our hearts again.
We have not officially opened just yet, we are still waiting to hear from our resource worker on what else she needs from us, but we will be soon, so pray for us!! I mean that seriously, pray for our hearts, pray for all the children who need homes and safe places to sleep where people will love them. Pray that the lows of infertility don't negatively affect the way that we love the babies who enter our home. Pray for your own potential part that you could play in helping foster children in your own home and state.
Through the struggle of infertility and problems with my previous job, though, we chose to close our home while we sought direction on where to go and how to proceed.
In December of 2013, after being devastated by the news that we would not be getting the sweet baby whom we both loved so much only a couple of months before, we decided that we wanted to continue the foster process so we opened our home to a sweet 4 year old girl who needed us for about a month before being reunited with her siblings under the care of family members. This little one was sweet, feisty, and more than we were ready to handle when we got her. She spent that Christmas with us, which was fun, and then in January was taken back to her grandparents. After that month we decided that with the continued stress of Drew's job at ACH and my changing jobs that we were not able to fully provide the love and stability that children in foster care need and deserve, so we closed our home. We stayed current with all the state visits and requirements, we just weren't accepting kids.
When I left ACH for my current position in October of 2013 it offered so much more with flexibility and financial provision that it was just what we needed at that time. Soon after the new year Drew also got a new position that provided more financial stability and consistent hours that allowed him to be home for dinner every night, which I was (and still am) so thankful for. We started to discuss the possibility of opening our home again around the middle of 2014. Not long after that we started having fertility problems and I was diagnosed with endometriosis and had surgery. At that point I decided my heart couldn't take caring for other peoples children while we were struggling to have our own. Now, almost a year after that decision, we have prayerfully decided to open our home and our hearts again.
Will it be easy? Absolutely not. We are still struggling through infertility, but my heart is in such a better place than it was last year; heck, it's better today than it was after that last devastating negative pregnancy test a few weeks ago. Do I think that there won't be lows again where I won't want to be a foster parent? Not at all, I’m sure there will be those days. But this is where we feel God is leading us. There is a huge need for foster parents in our state, and we are trained and capable individuals who can help, so we will do our best to do just that.
We have not officially opened just yet, we are still waiting to hear from our resource worker on what else she needs from us, but we will be soon, so pray for us!! I mean that seriously, pray for our hearts, pray for all the children who need homes and safe places to sleep where people will love them. Pray that the lows of infertility don't negatively affect the way that we love the babies who enter our home. Pray for your own potential part that you could play in helping foster children in your own home and state.
*There are some tangible ways that you can help us reopen our home, if you want to know more just send me a message!*
I'm praying for you Sarah.... God knows how wonderful your hearts and arms will be to a child in need of love.
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