Okay, I know i am not a real parent, and I know I call all the kids I work with "my" kids, but these kids who are in and out of my house I definitely consider to be part mine. No, I did not give birth to them, but having them live in my house and put up with my rules has to give me some right to claim them at least a little ;~}
Like all parents, I go through many ups and downs with feeling like i may be damaging my kids more than helping them. But since i have no doubt whatsoever that God called me to do this, my frustrations are alleviated and I trust He will give me wisdom. Even with all the challenges, i do not regret inviting these kids into my home and sharing life with them.
As I look back over the past several months, i see an 11 year old who still has a ways to go, but is definitely not the same child who entered my house in March. It is amazing to see how consistency and having positive encouraging ppl in her life have begun to change her (thanks to my community group, church, family and neighbors). We still have many things to work through, but isnt that just how it goes?
Then I look back at the 17 year old who recently left my home to spend her senior year with a family in her home town. Boy did we have our ups and downs! But even with everything we went through, there was a glimmer of hope that something she learned while here, someone she met, made a positive difference. She talked about the ppl she met at Grace Park, how genuine they are in their faith. She saw ppl love her unconditionally, even though that didnt look the way she expected it to.
Well, last weekend I got a call from her. She told me the one thing every Christian parent longs to hear...last week, in her new foster home she accepted Christ! AWESOME! What else could a person want to hear? Even more amazing is the fact that as that was happening, both her RC and I were talking about how we wished she would surrender to Christ and praying for her, not knowing our prayers were being answered right then.
I asked Jessica if she felt different. She said yes. She said she always thought when she made that decision things would immediately be easier. She realizes that is not the case, but now when the choice comes up the answer is more clear than it has been in the past. She is finding joy in praising God for the blessings in her life. Oh, life will still be a challenge, but now she has the key to the answers. It is truly amazing!
There will always be ups and downs with our kids, but the absolute BEST thing in the world is knowing they have surrendered to Christ's call. May He guide their steps and draw them, and myself, closer to HIM each day!
