The journey....

I haven't shared a whole lot about our foster baby on here but I look forward to sharing all of the neat ways God has worked throughout this journey.

 

The day I picked him up from the hospital I had nothing for him.  I did have a new pack and play, and McKenzie was so sweet to gather some things of Elliott's to share with us until we could get on our feet.

When I got to the hospital our social worker handed me what they call a "journey bag".  Local volunteers put together these bags for the kids that come into care.  I wanted to bawl as I sat holding this bag for a baby that was losing the only thing he had on this earth... his mother. Inside the bag was an outfit, baby wipes, a book, baby wash and lotion, and a toy.  The outfit was too big for his little 6 lb body so the hospital dug up a sleeper that was not only too big but wasn't season appropriate.  It was such an emotional day.

 

 

 As the weeks ticked by and he became more and more "ours" I thought about getting rid of his bag.  After I thought about it though... I thought about how God's hand has been on him since the beginning and the many ways He has protected him.  I decided to tuck it away so that one day I could show him and tell him his story.  I fix "baby boxes" for all of my kids.  I just get a large plastic under the bed box and fill it with baby books, pictures and other keepsakes from their childhood.  I started "baby L's" box and put his journey bag and his much too big coming home from the hospital sleeper in it.  God is working and I look forward to writing about it in the coming months!

When we decided to become foster/foster-to-adopt parents we told them we would take children five and under since our youngest child is five.  One evening I was fixing dinner and I got a call from our social worker.  I always know as soon as I hear her voice that she is calling with a placement.  She told me they had an emergency and asked if we could take a teenage boy just for the night.  I called Marc and he said to tell them to bring him. I won't lie.... I was very nervous!  However, the thought of this boy sitting at the DFCS office all day, knowing there was no one willing to take him broke my heart.  When he got here Macheus fell in love with him.  It was so sweet but also sad watching the two of them playing together.  Mac was pretty much by his side the whole evening. 

He too had his "journey bag".  His story was sad.... father died and he and his mother and little brother were living in a hotel when they ran out of money. (Other details obviously I can't share.)  So in this bag was everything he owned.  I offered to wash his laundry but he wouldn't let anything out of his sight.  It is just so heartbreaking what these kids go through...…

The next morning Marc had to take him back to the office.  We knew we couldn't keep him but it was so hard watching him walk out of our house. I can only pray that he felt safe and loved for a night, and that something he heard during our family worship stuck and one day he will know that he has a Heavenly father that loves him.

 

Later that day I was sitting in the laundry room floor putting my running shoes on when Macheus was getting the vacuum cleaner to do his chores.  He looked at me and said, "Mommy, I prayed that Jesus would find "S' a home and that he would learn about Him." 

 

 

This journey we are on started last fall but I already am so thankful for the changes it has brought in the hearts of us and our children!

"The Lord watches over the foreigner
    and sustains the fatherless and the widow,,,"  Psalm 146:9