Choosing the Blessing of Challenges::Fostering and Adoption

Adoption is such a beautiful thing.  Something that opens us up to blessings we could never imagine, and challenges we might not have expected. When we began our fostering journey, I remember thinking that the whole point of the foster parent training was to take our rose-colored glasses off, stomp on them, and hand them back to us.  There was no doubt that foster parenting and adoption were going to be challenging – even if we weren’t sure exactly what the challenges would be. I was blessed to be a foster mom and now an adoptive mom to two beautiful little girls.   My sweeties are spicy little things but golly do I love them! When we adopted our two little girls, I had no idea that before our youngest turned two my husband would leave us.  I’ve pondered whether I would have wanted to adopt had I known what was coming.  It didn’t take long for me to come to the conclusion that I absolutely would have pursued adopting my precious girls regardless of what lay ahead. And what a blessed reminder that was to me about God’s love for me.  How amazing that God chose me even when He knew what would lay ahead.  He knew I’d fail immeasurable times.  I’d choose sin over following Him.  I’d cause Him pain and break His heart.  And still He adopted me.  He desired to be my Father, to love me, and care for me with all my flaws and failures.  He knew and He still chose to love me.  I’m ever so grateful for my Abba Father.  I pray that God will love my children through me and that I will be faithful in raising them to know Him, love Him, and trust Him. But honestly, raising 5 children as a single mom is daunting at times.  And certainly, things are a bit more challenging with my two little girls.  I joke (kind of seriously) that they keep me on my knees…which is a good thing to be sure.  And they bless us all with their lovable precociousness. I believe my older children are better for these little sisters.  They’ve learned how to sacrificially love and care for another – even when that little other is a stinker.  They’ve caught a glimpse of the whole idea of adoption which is a blessing as we learn that we are God’s adopted children.  They’ve seen that love isn’t determined by biological or adoptive, curly hair or straight, black or white.  It’s just love. And when I’ve struggled with this calling, God has reminded me through His word and the words of my friends that “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  (Philippians 4:13).  One of my friends constantly reminds me that God chose me to be momma to my kids…He chose me to be single mama to my kids.  He will not leave me in this calling.  He has equipped me and He will keep me.  He is faithful and loving and kind. What I want to share is that God is good even when things turn out very different than we thought.  After all, God wasn’t surprised.  God knew.  God knew and He still called us.  I have a magnet on my fridge that says, “God will not call you where His grace will not sustain you.”  He chose you and He has chosen your children for you as well – biological and adopted.  And that is a beautiful thing!