And Just Like That She Was Gone

We said goodbye to our 14 year old foster child this past weekend. We’ve had her for nearly a year. It was rough.

When I tell people I do foster care many of them say “I’d love to do that, but I couldn’t deal with letting a child go.” I’ll tell ya, me either. It was hard to say goodbye to such a great kid. She had been with us for nearly a year and was part of the family. But, she has her own family, and she’s where she belongs.

One of the coolest moments about saying goodbye was when her Mom gave my wife a hug and said “thank you”. That doesn’t happen a lot in foster care and it was pretty cool to see and was , well, gratifying.

During our foster care support group one of the new foster parents said “how do you let a child go that’s been with you for a long time.” A veteran foster parent (I believe she’s had 65+ kids come and go in her home) said “you grieve…and then you pray that God prepares your heart for the next child.”

So, we’re grieving…and preparing. God has a plan and he knows what’s coming next, and that’s what we’re trusting.

How big is your pad in heaven?

I sat through a talk yesterday from a woman who had adopted 11 foster kids. That’s not counting the 3 she birthed herself. And the 11 foster kids were the ‘worst of the worst’. Meaning the kids no one else would take.

The first thing that popped in my head was “man she has a huge reward coming her way when she gets to heaven”. I imagined her walking into the pearly gates and God saying “Well done. Here’s is your reward.” And then points to a spread that would make Bill Gates’ house look like a doghouse.

I know a lot of people who say, “hey I just want to get IN, I don’t care if they put me in a tool shed, at least I’ll be there.” Ok, I guess. But how many of us in life live to “just stay alive”? Where’s the motivation for “more”? And not being greedy, but think about it. The God of the universe who created you and me has rewards for us. I don’t think God’s sitting up there with iPads to pass out, he’s got something special up his sleeve. Me, well, I don’t want to miss out on ANYTHING God has to offer.

My Faith in Man

Lately my faith in man has taken a hit.

I’ve pretty much given up in my faith in man.

I’ve seen, and been apart of, stories where man has failed people, including myself.

I don’t know.

Maybe I expect too much from people.

Maybe I think people should and will do the right thing when faced with a situation.

Maybe I hope they will.

Maybe my hope is stupid.

One example is the situation in Haiti.

Yes it is devastating. Yes it is a tragedy. And yes we need to help.

But I’m tired of people saying “Man, I need to get to Haiti…to help.”

Sure that’s a noble cause. You should be proud of yourself for wanting to help.

But…

What about your neighbor next door?

What about your coworker?

What about that family in your church?

What about that guy you drive by who’s holding a sign at an intersection?

So often we miss what’s in front of us cause we so focused on what’s out of sight.

We’re squinting to see what’s a mile away when there is a need right at the tip of our nose.

Dang it.