When Faith first came to our home at the end of September 2010, she had little knowledge of what steps we had to go through to bring her home. I'm sure someone may have explained the process to her, but seeing it from this perspective is completely different. As Joey and I were sitting in one of our four hour training sessions last week, my sweet 18 year old daughter sent me a simple text, "Is it worth it?"
As I look back and read where we were almost three years ago, I am amazed at God's fingerprints in our lives. Love compels us and His power enables us. The reason we are putting ourselves and our family through the laborious process of becoming a foster home is simply because He asked. Our reason three years ago still resonates deep with us today. (see below)
From August 24, 2010
Recently I was driving in my car. I was headed home and thinking about the whole adoption process. I'm not going to lie, it can be very frustrating. We are constantly waiting. Hurry up and wait, hurry up and wait. Just when I think we are getting close to the end, the time frame stretches longer and longer. Anyway, I was driving in my car and one of my favorite songs came on, "For the Sake of the Call" by Steven Curtis Chapman. There is a part in the song that says,
We will abandon it all for the sake of the call
No other reason at all but the sake of the call
Wholly devoted to live and to die
Not for the sake of a creed or a cause
Not for a dream or a promise
Simply because it is Jesus who called
And if we believe we'll obey
It hit me how hard this whole
journey is going to be. But we didn't do it for a dream or a promise
that we would have a perfect little family. Being foster/adoptive
parents, we have to abandon everything (my comfort level, my fears, my time plan,
my convenience, my perception of a perfect family, even the approval of
our friends and family). We abandon everything simply because he
called. No other reason. If you're like me then lots of people will say,
"Well, if God is calling you to do this, then I'm sure everything will
be fine." I'm learning that is not true. We don't do things on the
promise that situations will be easy or "fine"... we are simply doing
this because he called us to. I'd like to think that we are brave for
doing that. No, things will definitely be hard. Just like the disciples
faced a hard life by following Christ, our lives are changed
significantly by making that same choice. Our choice will affect our
close friends and our family. But like the song says,
Nobody stood and applauded them
So they knew from the start
This road would not lead to fame
All they really knew for sure
Was Jesus had called to them
He said "come follow Me" and they came
With reckless abandon, they came
Empty nets lying there at the water's edge
Told a story that few could believe
And none could explain
How some crazy fisherman agreed to go where Jesus went
With no thought to what they would gain
For Jesus had called them by name
And they answered...
We will abandon it all for the sake of the call
No other reason at all but the sake of the call
Wholly devoted to live and to die for the sake of the call
The sake of the call
Drawn like the rivers are drawn to the sea
There's no turning back, for the water cannot help but flow
Once we hear the Savior's call, we'll follow wherever He leads
Because of the love He has shown
And because He has called us to go
We will answer...
