Foster Care Myth #5

Myth Buster #5

I want to foster but…it’s too hard to say goodbye. This is probably the top reason I hear from people when they talk about why they don’t foster. Now we can talk about how hard it is for the child to be removed due to neglect or abuse from the only home they have known, but the best perspective on this challenge was shared with me by a veteran of 20 plus years of fostering.

Can you remember a favorite kindergarten teacher, a sports coach, a relative, a neighbor or Sunday School teacher from your childhood? When you think of that person your heart smiles at the investment they made and the lessons and memories you cherish as a result. That person was merely a piece in the puzzle that makes up your life journey and contributes to who you are today.

In much the same way foster parent fill that role for a foster child. Yes, it is still hard to say goodbye. Keep in mind, you have had significant people impact your own life who are not in your life today. That may be your role in the life of a foster child.

For the time they live in your home you will become a part of the puzzle that composes their life. You will have the opportunity to introduce them to a loving Heavenly Father who wants to have a relationship with them through Jesus for all of eternity. While you may not maintain a lifetime relationship with this child, you can introduce them to the One who will for now and eternity if they choose.

Will you be willing to open yourself up to the difficulty of saying goodbye in order to provide safety and love to a child in need? Will you accept the chance you may not have a lifetime to nurture this child but a brief moment to be a part of the puzzle of their life? If you are will you make that moment last for eternity and introduce them to Jesus who gave his life to make possible an eternal relationship with God? Your pain and sacrifice pales in comparison to the pain and suffering of this child who needs love, nurturing and a place to feel safe.