A few years ago, one of my students drew a picture of my flying through the sky with a cape and entitled it "Super Mrs. Allen". I love that picture, and I have it hanging in my room even today. Am I a super hero?? Not quite :) But with faith in God and His mightiness.....I CAN BE super hero.
Saturday I attended a foster care training class as part of the 15 hours of 'continued ed' I need to have per year as a foster parent. I sat in a room with smiling loving couples....several of them saying and rocking their foster baby who was cooing and adoring them. This class was actually quite awesome and filled with a variety of 'tools' to keep in our 'belt' as we wait, except, and love our foster children. It was such good information I prayed several times during it, "thank you Lord for not placing a child with us until I heard this."
One startling realization is that when a foster child begins to get comfortable and begins to trust, they also being to unpack their invisible suitcase and challenge their mental framework. Even babies learn fast what a mommy and a daddy do. In some cases, foster children have very negative thoughts or images of what a mommy and daddy does. If, as a foster parent, you are doing things right....and your child begins to feel comfortable, they will begin to push you and try to make you conform to the image. "Daddies hit," is their image of a daddy, so they will push and push and try to get you to fit that. "Mommies leave," is their image of a mommy, so they will push and push and try to get you to fit that. Our goal is to push back harder. When they hit and bite, love them more. When they yell and scream, hug them more. When they cause all sorts of trouble, find places to praise them more.
Now, I'm an educator, and I teach small children.....so I can see where that is going to get old real fast. Especially in my own home. However, "All God's giants have been weak men, who did great things for God because they reckoned on His being with them". I am simply a weak woman willing to be a giant for God, because I know He is with me.
Phillipians 1:8-10 - 8 God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. 9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.
James 2:12 - 12 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom.
Thank you Lord for YOUR timing. Thank you LORD for your strength. Thank you LORD for having a plan. May our family be strong for YOU. Make us giants in YOUR eyes.
