Living Freely: Foster Care System and THE CHURCH
NOTE: I DID NOT WRITE THIS---Copied the text here so you don't have to click-and so you can comment and tell me your thoughts on this! THEN go to Brandi's site and there is a video to cry to :) and tell her what you are thinking if this messed with you too.
What is THE CHURCH's role in caring for children? In caring for our elderly? In caring for the poor and needy? You see, I'm a conservative republican who stands for less and less gov't. Is this because I want to eliminate gov't programs and don't care about the poor and needy in our midst? Yes and No! Yes, I think some of our programs should be eliminated. Why? Because it's OUR JOB! Our job as believers is to get in there and love and care for people. We as a Body, as Christ's Body are not doing what we could be. The workers are few. . .
Consider for a moment. . .
In our area alone: there are approx. 975 children in foster care.
There are 300 foster homes. Approx. 30% of these children ARE available for adoption. Check out adoptuskids.org for pics of waiting kids!
Consider this, in light of the previous stats. . .
There are 2202 churches listed in that same area. . .ok, let's take it down a bit b/c some of those may not be Bible-believing, or yellowpages.com may have listed some that weren't in our area. Possibly that brings us down to 1950?
That means if EVERY OTHER church took in 1 child, EVERY child would be in a Bible- Believing home where the healing of Christ's love could be showered on them! These are the most vulnerable of our society. Children who NEED stability and unconditional love. One foster mom can not give the love and care and attention that a hurting child needs to 3-5 children at a time!
My friend, Jess is in the process right now of adopting through the foster care system. We also have another dear friend who just started the process and will be foster parents for teenagers! Thank you, sweet friends for loving on these hurting little ones. Do you know what question they get asked the most? "Do you know what you're getting yourself in to?" Oh my dear!!!! These kids are hurting. They have no family or one that has hurt them deeply. Are we really so selfish that we stop first to consider how much this child may disrupt my life? I am so thankful that Jesus didn't stop. He sure had time and knew exactly what He as getting into with us! Instead, let's raise up and assist these families. Let's regularly pray for and look for ways to help the foster children and system. We hope to adopt through the foster care system at some point in the future, for now, our small group will be "adopting" kids from the foster care system to provide Christmas presents for! Consider calling your local foster parent association and offering your help (or maybe your whole church, small group or group of friends)!
My heart aches for these kids and I just stand and cry as we sing at church, "You are the defender of the weak, the Father to the Fatherless". Thank you, Jesus for standing in the gap. Please change our hearts that YOUR church will rise up to love, care for and assist those that are hurting in our midst.
5 comments:
those stats are truly stunning. truly!!!
God- change our hearts so we think of the weak first and our own needs last.
Have YOU started the process to foster and/or adopt? I hope so.
Your blog profile says that you feel like you are "too young" to have your adult children leaving your nest. Sounds to me like you have many years left that you could be loving on a houseful of little ones.
I am so glad that I did not stop after my first couple of children. I now have 6 adult children ... many people would be rejoicing in the empty nest after raising that houseful. But, I am so glad that I have 7 younger children to love on, to care for, to train up for the Lord.
Some people are called to Foster Care (our state won't let us do foster care because we have too many children). Some people are called to adopt domestically. Some people are called to adopt internationally. Some people are called to raise up more biological children to serve the Lord. And, some of us are blessed to be called to several of those options.
Hoping that your house will ring with the love and laughter of little children in the near future.
Blessings,
mama of 13
To all: I wrote Laurel an email response. But so you know, I have NOT begun the process, but God has started in my heart. Hopefully you can all watch it bud and grow!
This made me cry: "Hoping that your house will ring with the love and laughter of little children in the near future."
Praying for just that!
I love it!!!! The more we can spread this on....the better!!! In the US there are over 500,000 CHILDREN in foster care. In our state- LA there are over 5,000!!!! We have adopted 3 through the state of IA and 3 since being here in LA, and of course have now gone to ET to adopt as well. Foster care is hard, emotional, tough, but it is God's job to figure it out. It is not our place to say it is too hard...I don't want to do it...it is God's job to give us what we need to serve HIM!!! Including the strength to endure it all. I pray that God will raise up more and more to seriously think about - adoption international, or local, foster care, and in all ways raising God's Beautiful Children to know HIM personally!!! It is the church's job, not the governments to help all of those in need!!! Love the articles!!!!
Revisiting the YEARS later only to say we are now fostering a 2yo! My how the Lord works!
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