Before I launch into what is sure to seem like a “do as I do” pep talk, I want to make a few things clear about our experience in the foster care world. We adopted sweet Ivy Joy in June of 2024. We often hear so many sweet words from people who hear our story or who watched it all play out–people who kindly give us credit for being some sort of specially cut out Christians. But you see, we don’t deserve these accolades because everything that happened happened to us by God’s perfect providence. We didn’t make the decision to become a foster family–God just brought Ivy into our lives, and as she is so very easy to love, when things got difficult and her circumstances changed, we hung on. We hung on and did all of the things that we were required to do to keep her in our home. And then after two years of waiting and wondering what would happen, we walked into the courtroom one June morning, and God made her forever our daughter.
I want to make this clear to you because I don’t want you to think that I am one who makes it her mission to stand on a soapbox and call for everyone to become foster parents or adoptive parents. I’m not. I fully acknowledge how very hard it is. I am completely convinced it isn’t for everyone, and certainly not at every phase of life. But I do feel compelled to make the case that more Christians should probably be opening their hearts to the possibility.
Why? Well, the answer is simple, really. Because as Christians our goal in life is to bring glory to God by spreading the gospel and making His name known. I think most of us try to do this in various ways. I’m always amazed when I listen to people from our church talk about their daily lives and I realize how intentional so many of them are to reach out to people, to love people, to talk to people openly about who Jesus is. We are all in unique circumstances, and we all have opportunities to influence the world for Christ. Kudos to you if you make it a point to share in Him in your workplace, your school, your mom’s group, your grocery store. It’s all very important and helps to accomplish the Great Commission right where you are, and beyond.
If you are a parent and you consider it your grave responsibility to raise children to know and love Christ and to follow Him their whole lives, I pat you on the back. You are doing kingdom work every single day in your home, not only by loving your kids and meeting their physical and safety needs, but by showing them what it looks like to live the most intimate parts of life as a Christian in the home. Then you go out into the world and you take those toddlers or teenagers with you and you show them how to love the world by striving to live like Jesus. You show them how to react, how to trust, how to live with joy and peace in a wild world. This is eternal stuff. You are helping build the next generation of Great Commission Christians in your children.
You, faithful Christian, are not necessarily deficient in your walk with Christ if you are not fostering or seeking to adopt. Maybe God isn’t calling you to care for orphans in this particular way right now. We all know there are so many avenues to caring for children who need us. But God is certainly calling some Christians to open their homes to children right in our own communities. How do I know? Because of the large number of foster children who have no place to go. He must be calling some of us. The question is: are we listening for His call?
Please know that I am saying this with all the humility in the world, as I never once considered myself whether I should be the one to open my ears to this call. God was gracious enough to give me sweet Ivy anyway. Sometimes I’m so struck by the opportunity that I have here. This precious soul who came to my home and burrowed herself into my heart–she will hear the gospel. She is three and rides her tricycle around the house singing songs about Jesus that she makes up as she goes. What might God do in her because she was placed right where she is, growing up in a home with five Christians? I didn’t know I would be a part of God’s plan for Ivy’s life. I wasn’t listening for His instruction as to whether I should bring another child into my home. But I’m so very grateful for this chance to help Ivy learn the glories and wonders of who Jesus is, and what He did for her on the cross.
The prophet Samuel said obedience to God is better than sacrifice. As Christians we try so hard to please God by checking all the boxes of things we’re “supposed” to do. I wonder how much more we would know Him if we really sought Him on things like this: Lord, are you calling me to take in a child? What an opportunity for obedience if we are one of those Christians He is speaking to. I know that the thought of fostering or adopting is a scary one. But as Christians we have to take our fingers out of our ears. He is clearly calling some of us. Are we listening?
I love hearing from you!