I Stand…

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Today I stand. 

I stand for children in foster care by opening my heart and home to children in foster care.

Most people I talk to have no idea the number of children in foster care or the extent of the need in the foster care community. According to www.childrensrights.org, there are nearly 428,000 children in foster care in the United States on any given day.

That is 428,000 children who need to know they are loved.

That is 428,000 children who are living in turmoil as everything they have known as secure is in upheaval.

That is 428,000 children missing someone they love.

That is 428,000 children who need someone to stand for them.

Welcoming children into our home has been both one of the most challenging and one of the most rewarding things we have ever done.

Yes, welcoming a child into our family makes more laundry, more cooking, more crying, more work.

Yes, welcoming a child into my heart means my heart breaks when they leave our home.

But, welcoming a child into our family means more hugs, more love, more milestones hit.

But, welcoming a child into my heart means I am able to love that child and his or her birth family with the love Christ has so freely given me.

Trust me, I understand that not everyone is called to be a foster parent. There have been times, even since we have been licensed, that we have taken a step back and not taken in children for a while. Even though not everyone is called to take a child into their home, the Bible is very clear that we do have a part.

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” James 1:27

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ Matthew 25:37-40

So how can you stand for the 428,000 children in foster care?

First, I would encourage you to seek God and ask him if he is calling you to stand by becoming a foster parent and opening your heart and home to one or more of these children?

If that is not what He is calling you to do, then look for ways you can stand by coming alongside the foster parents in your community in what is called wrap around care.

Here are some ways you can wrap around and care for foster families.

• Provide a meal
• Babysit
• House cleaning
• Run errands
• Transport a child to appointments
• Provide homework help
• Ask what you can do to help
• Send notes of encouragement

There are endless ways you can stand for children in foster care. If you have any questions or would like ideas for ways you can come alongside a foster parent in your community, I’d love to chat with you.

Standing for the children in foster care is one way you can put feet on the gospel, one way you can put love in action, one way you can be the hands of Jesus to the hurting in this world.

Will you stand?

 

*Stand Sunday was started by the Christian Alliance for Orphans as part of Orphan Sunday to raise awareness for foster care.

A great resource for more info is www.cafo.org.

 

Photo by Kelly Miller on Unsplash

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