Waiting For God's Timing In The Foster System. ( From a Teen's Perspective.)
Hey Guys,
What's new with you?
I realize that I've been gone from the blog for quite a while, it's been crazy busy on my end. Thankfully, I think the summer is starting to slow down. I hope to have more time and inspiration to write on this platform. The past month I've been at camp after camp, and got to take a trip to North Carolina with my parents to see my grandparents, as they were preparing to move. My weeks have involved new friendships, late night shenanigans, and hanging out with the people who usually make themselves more scarce in my everyday life I really enjoyed everything. It's been a much needed break from my normal life. In this post I'm going to talk about waiting in the foster system from my point of view, as a introduction for myself back into taking placements, and writing my thoughts out for other people to read for absolutely no apparent reason.
If you've been following my blog you'll probably already know that my family is part of the foster system. I've been extremely blessed to be in a family that has encouraged me to have a tender heart towards others who may not be as well off as I am, who have taught me the about God and the Bible since I was a kid. I know that God has blessed me so much, and I am thankful that I have gotten to have a part in the lives of kids whose situations have not always been as great as mine.
I can confidently say that as a child whose family hosts foster kids, I don't have very much say in what kids come into our home, and which ones don't. I feel so much compassion for the kids in these sad and broken situations, I wish that we could take them all.
These parents are broken, the system is broken, and the kids suffer for it. This week we opened back up for new placements. Honestly, my family doesn't really have room for more than two extra kids, so our foster journey does not seem so crazy as other peoples might from the outside. To me it seems as though we have a small capacity, but that doesn't keep people from reeling in shock at the news we plan to take in more children. I don't understand people's attitudes towards us, and other families who take in foster kids.
No, it's not easy doing this. Nothing about it is easy. If it was easy to send a child back where they came from, to turn down placements who need a safe place to go, then there would be a problem. It's true that not everyone is called to foster, but to say that you would turn down the opportunity to benefit a kid in need if that was what God had called you to do just because you think that it would be hard or uncomfortable is frankly tragic.
It's true that not every Foster family and placement are meant to be together, and sometimes the most loving answer for everyone involved is to just say no. Seems cruel, right? Saying no to a call from a sometimes desperate social worker asking for your help as a last resort. But what if God has something better in store elsewhere for that child? What if He has the placement that we could truly help a few days down the line down the line, or a call later? What if you ask for His wisdom, and feel Him tell you that this kid doesn't belong with you right now? Is that cruel? No. I don't think it is. Maybe that child would be fine with us. But what about the one that God has waiting? What about another home, or a different family for the kid He just told you not to take in? What opportunities do we waste when we tell God that we know better?
I'm not trying to say that we say no to every placement just in case it's 'not the right one', or that I think that no kid belongs with us. What I'm saying is that when we try to rush into life, sometimes we have unforeseen consequences. Missing out on the benefits God would have given us, and the kids He seemed to tell us not to take, if we had listened to the better plan He had, even when we couldn't imagine how He could work it out for His, ours, or the kids good.
This week I was introduced to my new five year old little brother, after my family had ended up saying no to several other proposed placements. My parents didn't know what God had in mind, but I know they believed that God would bring us the one who would benefit from being in our home for a while. The kid that God had in mind for us in this season of our lives. I don't think I could honestly be more happy. No matter how much it hurts during the process, God always makes it worth it in the end.
So, that's my thoughts at the moment about saying no to placements, and waiting on God's timing to bring us the right kid. If you're also involved in the foster system, I would love to hear your thoughts on all of this. If you enjoyed this post please leave a comment and consider following my blog to hear more from me. I hope to get back in the loop of writing and posting to this platform, and hope to have you see me back here for my next post.
Until next time, Bye! (Waves from behind screen!)
What's new with you?
I realize that I've been gone from the blog for quite a while, it's been crazy busy on my end. Thankfully, I think the summer is starting to slow down. I hope to have more time and inspiration to write on this platform. The past month I've been at camp after camp, and got to take a trip to North Carolina with my parents to see my grandparents, as they were preparing to move. My weeks have involved new friendships, late night shenanigans, and hanging out with the people who usually make themselves more scarce in my everyday life I really enjoyed everything. It's been a much needed break from my normal life. In this post I'm going to talk about waiting in the foster system from my point of view, as a introduction for myself back into taking placements, and writing my thoughts out for other people to read for absolutely no apparent reason.
If you've been following my blog you'll probably already know that my family is part of the foster system. I've been extremely blessed to be in a family that has encouraged me to have a tender heart towards others who may not be as well off as I am, who have taught me the about God and the Bible since I was a kid. I know that God has blessed me so much, and I am thankful that I have gotten to have a part in the lives of kids whose situations have not always been as great as mine.
I can confidently say that as a child whose family hosts foster kids, I don't have very much say in what kids come into our home, and which ones don't. I feel so much compassion for the kids in these sad and broken situations, I wish that we could take them all.
These parents are broken, the system is broken, and the kids suffer for it. This week we opened back up for new placements. Honestly, my family doesn't really have room for more than two extra kids, so our foster journey does not seem so crazy as other peoples might from the outside. To me it seems as though we have a small capacity, but that doesn't keep people from reeling in shock at the news we plan to take in more children. I don't understand people's attitudes towards us, and other families who take in foster kids.
No, it's not easy doing this. Nothing about it is easy. If it was easy to send a child back where they came from, to turn down placements who need a safe place to go, then there would be a problem. It's true that not everyone is called to foster, but to say that you would turn down the opportunity to benefit a kid in need if that was what God had called you to do just because you think that it would be hard or uncomfortable is frankly tragic.
It's true that not every Foster family and placement are meant to be together, and sometimes the most loving answer for everyone involved is to just say no. Seems cruel, right? Saying no to a call from a sometimes desperate social worker asking for your help as a last resort. But what if God has something better in store elsewhere for that child? What if He has the placement that we could truly help a few days down the line down the line, or a call later? What if you ask for His wisdom, and feel Him tell you that this kid doesn't belong with you right now? Is that cruel? No. I don't think it is. Maybe that child would be fine with us. But what about the one that God has waiting? What about another home, or a different family for the kid He just told you not to take in? What opportunities do we waste when we tell God that we know better?
I'm not trying to say that we say no to every placement just in case it's 'not the right one', or that I think that no kid belongs with us. What I'm saying is that when we try to rush into life, sometimes we have unforeseen consequences. Missing out on the benefits God would have given us, and the kids He seemed to tell us not to take, if we had listened to the better plan He had, even when we couldn't imagine how He could work it out for His, ours, or the kids good.
This week I was introduced to my new five year old little brother, after my family had ended up saying no to several other proposed placements. My parents didn't know what God had in mind, but I know they believed that God would bring us the one who would benefit from being in our home for a while. The kid that God had in mind for us in this season of our lives. I don't think I could honestly be more happy. No matter how much it hurts during the process, God always makes it worth it in the end.
So, that's my thoughts at the moment about saying no to placements, and waiting on God's timing to bring us the right kid. If you're also involved in the foster system, I would love to hear your thoughts on all of this. If you enjoyed this post please leave a comment and consider following my blog to hear more from me. I hope to get back in the loop of writing and posting to this platform, and hope to have you see me back here for my next post.
Until next time, Bye! (Waves from behind screen!)
I enjoy reading these pieces of your heart, sweet girl. You're such a good writer.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the encouragement, it means a lot.
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