Learning about people...

This foster care journey has been quite a growing experience. The classes seemed to never end and then the mountain of paper work came next with home studies where you are under a microscope. To be perfectly honest it has been a wonderful experience for us. The classes were very informational and fun. We had a great group of couples and the Buckner employees in Longview made it fun and educational. The "mountains" of paper work was not near as bad as I expected. There were a lot of details to take care of, but I expected that. The fire code is strict. Fine with me! The homestudies were not invasive at all. Our Buckner worker made us feel comfortable. Colin was a hoot, as usual. We are still waiting for paperwork on their end, but we are almost there. We are very excited!

What I've learned about people has been very disappointing. Not Buckner, not our close friends and family, but people I know casually or who have met recently. In fact, fostering has turned into a witnessing tool without that being the intent. I talked with a woman the other day who acted shocked that we would take in strangers. She said she admired us, BUT she just couldn't expose her kids to "those kind" of kids. I told her I understood what she meant, but that we truly feel called by God to do this and we don't expect him to shield our kids, though we pray for that, but what we do know without a shadow of a doubt is that God will carry us through the journey, whatever that may be. They more than likely will be exposed to some things, days will not always be easy, but God will not leave us and we will find joy even if there is pain. Pain of exposure, pain of knowledge of what has happened to these children, pain of returning them. But God knows the outcome and that is good enough for us. This particular woman also mentioned those "mixed race" kids being such a big issue (those were her words). She also said she just couldn't take them in. I was a little startled and told her we had no problems with any race,mixed or otherwise whatsoever. God loves them and who are we to choose which race enters our home (I didn't say that to her). I was sad to hear her because I know she was just sharing her true feelings, but I was sad that she was so closed. Many people cannot understand our journey, but we are so very convicted it doesn't matter to us what others say. It's between us and God and we are excited to be a part of HIS plan. It's not about us. AND it's not for others to feel this same way either. I don't in any way hold this against her at all!!! Not everyone is called in this way. She may simply be called to be the best mother she can be and that is admirable enough! I am just always floored by some comments that I know were probably not intended to sound the way they did. She also mentioned being angry that so many people "do this" for money and she "she heard" they make a fortune in California (not sure where that information came from... rumors are always plentiful). I told her that I am sure that some do to some extent, but they have to want to take care of children in some way or they wouldn't do it. There is too much involved in a 24 hour period with these kids to do it strictly for money. There is just no way! Now would anyone do it for free? I don't know. We never really considered the money.... we considered the medical bills at first, butthose are covered by Medicaid so no worries there. The money is to provide for them and that is what we will do. Provide for them.... love, security, food, a safe place to grow and learn and heal and to learn just how much God really loves them. Our home can provide that. We are certainly not rich, but they will be well taken care of and well loved and have fun along the way. It is hard to hear comments like those and yet they encourage me even more to be in prayer for the children who will placed in our lives and for us to be a light to others so that maybe we can have a small part in maybe changing someone's mind. Maybe about being judgmental on race, or about foster kids, or about being open to the call of God no matter how difficult. I feel so blessed and so overjoyed that we are ALMOST there. I am thankful for the hints that have been placed on my heart for the past 15 years. Thank you "Richard" for making me fall in love with you at Creekside in Lewisville, when you were an unlovable boy to almost everyone else. You made me want to take you home and erase the pain of your 11 years. I'm sorry I didn't, but I am here now and I pray you are safe and loved. I still think of you and pray for you! Thank you Longview News Journal for running the article on my friend Jana . I didn't know her then, but fell in love with her story and comittment to 2 children even though she was single at the time... now I know the rest of the story since I met her a short time later. Further confirmation from God and the seed grew even more... now here we are... waiting for the future and willing to walk the path.