we crouch by his door, trent and i, and aiden is awake and standing by his bed, and we're sneaking up on him, to surprise him with love and we count, 1, 2, 3, then open and pounce
and it's amazing grace, the sound of a child laughing
and we do family time, all the time, because it's all that matters.
but family is bigger than blood, and i look at my refrigerator, at the christmas photos people send us and their faces smiling and at the end of the day--after baths and snacks and bible story, crowded round wood-stove and climbing all over limbs and toes and guinea pig, too--it's family that makes us worth something. it's family that makes us worth anything.
and where are the children that no one wants? where are they on our fridges?
"i just turn away--i can't stand to see a child in pain," a friend tells me,
and i refuse to understand this. this turning away.
kasher crying and aiden running to him, and there is no greater mercy than a child's heart, and we are to be like this. everyone taking care of each other.
and to be like children is to hear the crying, and to come running. fast. thinking nothing but how to get there more quickly.
76,000 homeless children are crying in canada. and no one is running.
let's hear them. let's see them. and let's give them a place on our fridge.
because it's amazing grace, these children, and at the end of the day, at the end of our lives, it's all that matters.
us being family to the world.
(trent and i have gone through foster-care training, and are hoping to open our home when our boys hit the age of 10)
(joining with my dear friends at A Deeper Story to bring to you 12 Causes for Christmas... won't you join in the blog hop below?)
Info re: Fostering in Canada...
Child Welfare League of Canada
Canadian Foster Family Association
Provincial and Territorial Association Sites
The Canadian Foster Parent
Alberta Foster Parent Association
Foster Care Alberta
Some Kick-A Articles on Fostering:
Christian Week
Today's Parent
Canadian Living
16 comments:
Dear Emily, May we all have the love, caring, and open arms one child has for another. In the flesh, self-sacrificing love is not possible, but only through the indwelling Holy Spirit as He points to Christ's perfect example.
Love you,
Laurie
nice...trying to get a ministry off the ground that prepares families and seeks out families for just such children...
Emily - Such joy fills my heart to read this post! You & your family will be great foster parents! Your love & compassion are sooo the heart of God! Can't wait to see you be the arms of Christ...even more...in days to come!! Praising Him this day!! ~ jen
This is so cool...I just wrote a post about Christmas gifts you can give whose proceeds go to charities...God is the same...everywhere...
love you ..thats all!
Did you know that Focus on the Family Canada has started a campaign to increase awareness about the 30,000 kids in the Canada that are waiting for adoptive families? More details at waitingtobelong.ca :)
I love your heart, and that you are opening your home. Some little boy will be incredibly blessed.
Emily, I am so excited to read about your hopes to foster some day! I went to Focus on the Family's End the Wait conference in the spring and have been SO impressed with their campaign to spread the word about the 30,000 kids who are waiting for their forever families. And realizing more and more that it takes a CHURCH to adopt these children, or to be foster parents. I hope that while you wait for your bio children to reach the age of 10, you are able to grow a wonderful support network of people who will take care of you and your family as you seek to take care of these children. My friend who has fostered, adopted from the foster system, and adopted internationally just launched an e-book for self care while fostering and adopting. She let me proof read it, and it is fantastic. A local foster agency is considering making it required reading for all foster/adoptive families - as well I think it should be. http://www.sharlakostelyk.com/ Blessings on you as you run to the children who are crying for help, instead of away from them <3
Emily...thanks for these words...helps to keep my heart turned...turned where God's heart is turned...and the foster care...your family will be healing balm for those who enter...
Blessings on this journey...
what a marvelous encouragement for loving the unwanted in our own country... We have two foster kids, now grown, who call us "Home" and many others not counted in the system of 76,000 that felt we were forever family as they passed months or years with us waiting for things to get well with their lives and families. God loves each one and passes the torch to His own to carry on the love...
blessings to you dear Emily
I love your heart!
We've been certified for foster care before as well, plus worked as Mom and Dad in a group home for displaced inner city youth. So lovely to see others with the same heart. The heart will break, but will be more fully formed in spite of it.
Saw a video this morning that reminded me of you:
http://music.yahoo.com/dia-frampton/videos/view/broken-ones--223421948
God has given you eyes to see, and arms to reach out. I love your beautiful, Jesus-like heart.
xxoo
Yes, the sound of a baby laughing is amazing grace, indeed. And I am not a bit surprised that you and Trent have gone through foster training. Not one bit. You have such a great, big, beautiful heart emily.
You constantly challenge me - in a good way. What a blessing it will be for a child to be placed in your loving home. It warms my heart to the core to see the delight and love in Aiden's face when he's around his brother. Truly a blessing.
xoxo
Carolynn
oh, you are the real deal...
so brave.
You said it: our family is more than a blood relationship. Our family is the entire family of God and we are called to spiritually mother and father those that don't have that.
You are a voice in the chorus that has been pulling my heart to open our home. Praying - praying for that chorus to be heard in the my husband's heart and the other boys:)
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