Foster Care Meetings

We had our first of nine foster meetings last night. I was excited to go and a bit nervous at the same time. I came away nervous and a bit excited. The past several weeks I have forgotten about my initial fears of the foster system (you can read about that here), I was really getting excited. I bought a baby gate to block off our new staircase and a lock to put on the laundry room door. We already had cabinet locks from our first homestudy we had in this home, so I figured that was covered. I have even started thinking about when might we get the call, the classes end in March, how soon after would it be? But then going to the meeting, I was reminded that reunification was the goal. Please do not get me wrong, I want families reunited, if it is best for the child. That means, however, that we may have a child for months or even longer and then have to say goodbye. So the anxiety started to begin again. Last night I woke up in the middle of the night and had a hard time getting back to sleep. My mind was racing. Thankfully, I finally got to sleep and stayed asleep until this morning. So this morning, I am faced with the decision on what I am going to let my mind focus on. The fears and anxieties that I have, or the truths of God. I am leading a Bible study by Elizabeth George called "Loving God With All Your Mind". So now is time to practice what I preach. We came to the decision of the foster system with much prayer. I am following Jathan in this, who is the leader of our home. We believe our desire to adopt is from God and that He will be with us guiding us every step of the way. I also believe that following God is not always going to be easy, fun or pain free. But I also know that following God results in blessings and best of all bringing him glory. So right now I am clinging to his promise that "God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28) He will be with us in this. And with His strength, we can do it.