foster care/adoption - a little devotion(al)

This is something I wrote for a devotion book that Christ Community Church put together highlighting the various missionaries and ministries that are connected to CCC...just felt like I am supposed to share it here, not even sure why (or why now) - but I'll trust God and obey...that's the goal. 

Accepted. Loved. Wanted. Safe. What feelings do these words stir up in your heart and mind? 

To some degree or another, each of us longs to belong. We long to know that we are accepted, loved, wanted and safe. 

The fact is that we ARE accepted and loved by Father God. We DO belong in Him.  We ARE safe in Him.  

For just a few examples of these Truths, spend some time reading and thinking about Isaiah 43:1-4, Zephaniah 3:17 and Psalm 139.

Unfortunately there are many, many people in our world who don’t know what it feels like to feel accepted, loved, wanted and safe. 

One of the people groups on this planet that may struggle with this most is children who have been brought into families through foster care and adoption - and, maybe even more so, children who are being juggled through the foster care system or who are waiting to be adopted. 

(but wait, you may be saying, children who are adopted are super wanted, aren't they?  families who foster WANT the child in their family, right?  sometimes.  sometimes not.  and even if they are the most wanted, accepted, loved, safe child in the world, the child may not FEEL those things...they may feel rejected, abandoned, alone, scared - and probably plenty of other things as well).

There is no doubt that the Bible speaks clearly of God’s love for children and, not only that, there are multiple promises that He will put the lonely into families and care for the orphans.  

Take some time to listen to God's word in Psalm 68:6, John 14:18 and James 1:27.

Because adoption and foster care are near to the heart of God, it is important that we take time to ask God to speak clearly to us about our specific and unique call to adoption and foster care. This does not mean that each of us is supposed to go apply with an adoption agency or start taking classes to become a foster parent (but don't dismiss those as possibilities!) …but this could mean that God is calling us to pray for foster kids or DFCS workers or to pray for children who are longing for a family through adoption or parents who are longing for a child to adopt. It could be that God wants us to give generously - and maybe even sacrificially - to support a family who is adopting or a ministry that is working directly with foster kids and foster families. 

There are plenty of people in, or closely connected to, CCC who are directly involved in foster care and adoption ministries  - here is some contact information in case God is leading you join with them in any way: 

• CCC's "Empowered To Foster Team" - Patrick & Misty Faircloth pmfair@yahoo.com
• Jeeah’s Hope - Skip and Ashley Perkins ashperkins7@gmail.com
• Clement Arts 
• Lifeline

And if you're not in Columbus, I'm sure you don't have to look far to find people and organizations eager for you to join them in their care of children.

General Prayer points:

• for more foster families
• for adoptions to go smoothly and peacefully and all financial needs to be met
• for foster care placements to be successful
• for the case workers and others who are working long hours and giving their lives for the safety and well being of children
• for children (and all of us!) to know the love, acceptance, delight and favor of our God

-----------------------------

On a personal note (this wasn't part of the original devotional - but it's a "you read all the way through so now you get bonus information" prize), we would love to invite you to pray for the boy that we have been fostering for the past 8 months (to keep with the laws of Georgia, we've referred to him as LJ on social media and haven't been able to post pictures showing his face)(though we did post some group pictures with him...we figured there were lots of people in the picture and it wasn't obvious which one was LJ...). 

We have known for a while that LJ would not be a permanent part of our family (that was an interesting truth to sort through with the Lord) - we have also known that God was asking us to love him, care for him and provide a home for him for this season.  

I love how God works...it's a long story - maybe I'll be able to share it someday...but I'm not sure since it may be more of LJ's story to share than mine...but the bottom line is that God has a plan that is coming together for this precious boy that He loves so much.  Please join us in praying for...

• a smooth transition (possibly happening in March) 
• LJ as he continues to sort through feelings and emotions related to all that he has gone through in his life. 
• peace for LJ, for his dad, for his family
• wisdom for those making decisions 

Surely there will be more to come.