One good deal for a child going into foster care is that you're a complete unknown. You have a new family presumably ready to expect the best of you. If you were a liar, thief, nose picker.....you fill in the blank....it's a chance for reformation. As foster parents, we often get a quick bio. on a child they place with us. These reports are mostly vague and unless it says, "tried to kill last foster mom", I give the new kid a clean bill of health and let them decide who they're going to be here. With a fresh start, positive encouragement and meeting the God of the Universe, many kids run with it and overcome baggage they've carried all their life.
And some can't/don't. I know that these kids don't want to continue the hurtful things from their past, they just don't have the ability to break away. Negative behavior patterns of generations are so fixed in them that the effort to change develops slowly and often not in time. You can almost see the word "DOOMED" written on their face. It's heartbreaking. And yet you pour everything into them, pleading with the Lord for healing and release. How many have we seen leave our home with just some surface polish and a still unchanged heart?
And this is a small picture of God's dilemma with man. He's holding out a new life and all the good things and sometimes we choose the junk. I know He's crying too.
5 comments:
Wow - this was a great analogy.
I was telling a new friend not long ago about you - and how you always protect the kids from that history following them. I mean generally speaking we know that they come with baggage but you also have always expected the rest of us to give them the new chance.
It has been hard sometimes, but it has been a blessing and so many of your kids have my heart.
I was just thinking about David the other day - how much I loved having him in VBS - and even when he would throw snowballs at me and then I see the picture of him running and what a nice young man he has grown into. That is the picture I want to emulate - even if it means sometimes I mess up and have a trash bag on my pillow!
I am stuck in a lot of places in my life - but have been so thankful to have friends encourage me and help me otherwise it would be so much worse.
Yeah - btw - you are one of those friends. Thank you.
Wow, what a great post. Your analogy really struck home. I choose junk sometimes.
great post!! we are dealing with a teen who is "graduating" end of June............and has some "surface polished and a still unchanged heart." being pregnant hasn't helped the issues that have come up with her. We do have to look back at where she has come from and know that she has observed/learned things. Unfortunately, it will be our last "official" foster child for a while. There is a new rule in Taiwan that you can only have 4 kids under 18yr of age, including your own. So, that leaves us out for at least 9 year!!! it is sad really............
deana
Sometimes that junk is packaged so alluringly.
Lord - please give us parents as well as our children wisdom and discernment which comes from you.
Amen.
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