Later in the week I am headed to the Together for Adoption Conference in Austin, Texas! I am looking forward to being with a huge group of people who have a shared passion for foster children and adoption.
I am leading a break-out session entitled “Persistent Passion – Weathering the Storms of Foster Care”. If you are a foster parent I would love your input!!
What storms have you had to weather on your foster care journey?
How did you deal with them?
What advice would you give future or current foster parents about dealing with the storms they may encounter?
Thanks ahead of time for your input! Check out the conference speakers at http://www.togetherforadoption.org 🙂
The Middle Mom Blog 
In regards to storms they will encounter, I would encourage future foster parents not to worry about tomorrow. When my mind starts to wander to the “what ifs” of tomorrow, God reminds me that His grace will be enough to get me through at that time. I don’t need to have it all figured out right now, because at the right time, God will give me what I need. If He has asked me to be a foster parent, to love His children, then He will provide me with the grace to obey Him.
Amen! What great words of wisdom that I will pass on! 🙂
I will be at the conference and at your breakout session! I am so excited to hear what you have to say. I am a fairly new foster parent, and already reaching the point of burnout. The surprising thing to me is that it is not the kids that have exhausted me, but dealing with CPS. It is so hard to pour your life into these kids, and then watch CPS return them to situations that are hardly better than the ones from which they were removed in the first place. The situation that my first set of girls went home to definitely made me question the goodness of God.
However, what God has reminded me of is that He has called me to love these kids for the time that they are with me, and the love that they receive can never be taken away from them, even when returning to a heinous situation. If nothing else, they have experienced a safe haven for a short time, and that is better than nothing.
If I focus on the injustice of the system, I won’t last as a foster parent. However, if I focus on God calling me to love His kids, then I can carry on.
You are so right. Foster care is just hard sometimes- and hurts. But, God is so good to remind us that He can take what little we have to offer and multiply it beyond anything we could ever imagine. The precious girls you were able to love for a time will always have that within them (whether they are able to recognize it or not) and you guys will always be able to lift them up to the Father. Just know you are doing a great work….a work that only YOU can do. 🙂 I am looking SO forward to meeting you!!! 🙂