As my body continues to defy what it is supposed to do we are soldiering on in the process to open our home to foster children once again.
For any of you who have gone through this process or have close friends who have done so, you know that the state is very slow with these things. You'd think with all the kids who need placements they would step it up and go faster, but that is not the case. So, we are still in the process of waiting. Seems like most of adult life is about waiting. Which makes it hard not to get lost in the future and the what-ifs.
As for now we are waiting on our resource worker to come visit our home to give the final stamp of approval before we are officially open again. All the paperwork has been turned in. All the continuing education hours have been finished. The room is ready for babies. The dog is ready for babies, too, for that matter!
Not much needed to be done to the room, as I mentioned before, we were keeping the empty crib as a faithful sign that we trusted in God to one day fill it; maybe now it will get filled. Perhaps not with just one baby, but with many babies who will be entrusted into our care. I can easily say right now that I am satisfied knowing that I will potentially just be a "middle-mom" for many children who may come into our home. It's an easy thing to say when your heart isn't wrapped up in a specific tiny human who is living in your home. Please pray for our hearts that if/when the time comes to give babies who we have cared for back to their families or forward to their new forever families we are able to love all involved and not be heartbroken. I know to a certain level we will ache for the kids who get placed elsewhere, and that is a good thing, I just pray that it isn't a devastating heartache--lord knows we've had enough of that lately.
Two years ago when we first began the foster process to get that sweet baby from the hospital I never would have know that this would be where we would end up these 24+ months later. It has been a rough road full of questions and doubt, for sure, but as I continue to grow towards Jesus I am reminded daily that I am loved eternally and I am given grace to figure out what it looks like for me to love others.
For any of you who have gone through this process or have close friends who have done so, you know that the state is very slow with these things. You'd think with all the kids who need placements they would step it up and go faster, but that is not the case. So, we are still in the process of waiting. Seems like most of adult life is about waiting. Which makes it hard not to get lost in the future and the what-ifs.
As for now we are waiting on our resource worker to come visit our home to give the final stamp of approval before we are officially open again. All the paperwork has been turned in. All the continuing education hours have been finished. The room is ready for babies. The dog is ready for babies, too, for that matter!
Not much needed to be done to the room, as I mentioned before, we were keeping the empty crib as a faithful sign that we trusted in God to one day fill it; maybe now it will get filled. Perhaps not with just one baby, but with many babies who will be entrusted into our care. I can easily say right now that I am satisfied knowing that I will potentially just be a "middle-mom" for many children who may come into our home. It's an easy thing to say when your heart isn't wrapped up in a specific tiny human who is living in your home. Please pray for our hearts that if/when the time comes to give babies who we have cared for back to their families or forward to their new forever families we are able to love all involved and not be heartbroken. I know to a certain level we will ache for the kids who get placed elsewhere, and that is a good thing, I just pray that it isn't a devastating heartache--lord knows we've had enough of that lately.
Two years ago when we first began the foster process to get that sweet baby from the hospital I never would have know that this would be where we would end up these 24+ months later. It has been a rough road full of questions and doubt, for sure, but as I continue to grow towards Jesus I am reminded daily that I am loved eternally and I am given grace to figure out what it looks like for me to love others.
I'm praying for you in this process as well. I hope the waiting ends and the rocking begins soon. You two will be such good foster parents!
ReplyDeleteYou are wonderful for sticking with it and persevering.
ReplyDelete