Don't Worry

People worry. We can't help it. As a foster parent, I worry about what will/will not happen with the foster children God has placed/places in my care at whatever given time.

Though each child and situation is different, I find myself worrying about the same things.....Is this child going to be okay if they go back home? Have the biological parents really made the changes necessary to take care of their kiddo? How are my own kids going to react when we have to take this child from our home? Will this child grow up to overcome or follow the path laid before him/her? Am I going to have the strength to continue doing what we are called to do if there is not what I consider a happy ending?

The hard core truth is that foster parenting in unpredictable. Nothing happens on time or in a timely manner for that matter. If you think the outcome of the situation is obvious, the opposite will occur. Not every foster child is destined to a "hard" life and not every biological parent who has had their child taken away is a "bad" parent. The whole situation is full of ups and downs. Many decisions are made that are not necessarily in the best interest of the child and as the foster parents, you really have very limited control (if any) over these decisions. In fact, many times, I just don't understand choices made....whether that is by kids, bio parents, or the court system...but YOU(the foster parent) have to deal with it. You have to walk the child and your family through it, it's your job, it's what you are called to do.

Emotionally draining to say the least. I have found that if I let myself worry and focus on the things that may/may not happen, I am angry, exhausted, irritable, you name it.

When I am worried and feeling discouraged, there are many bible passages that remind me where my focus needs to be. If you are worried about...just whatever, I hope you find comfort in the scripture I have decided to share today.

Psalms 37: 1-7
Don't worry about the wicked. Don't envy those who do wrong.
For like grass, they soon fade away. Like springtime flowers, they soon wither.
Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart's desires.
Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust Him, and he will help you.
He will make your innocence as clear as the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like noonday sun.
Be still in the presence of the LOrd, and wait patiently for Him to act. Don't worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.

This passage reminds me that despite what happens, despite other people's motives or opinions, GOD IS IN CONTROL. Of my life, of my kids' lives, of the lives of everyone involved in our lives. And when there are trials we walk through that are impossible for me to understand ahead of time, as long as I am doing what God has called me to do and keep him in my focus, I'm going to be okay. My family is going to be okay. God's plan for our lives will be revealed in His time, not mine. And His plan for my life may not be what MY plan for my life is, but HIS plan will work out better than mine will anyways!