Fostering Friday

Fostering Fridays are all about my journey as a foster mom, how I feel about it, the highs and lows, and how it affects my family. And of course, hoping to increase awareness and prayer for this challenging and very rewarding ministry

So 'Walk Me Home' was so fun! Our whole family was there and we saw tons of people we knew form fostering, one special couple was there that sort of mentors us and are so encouraging.  We also so many friends from church that came out to support foster care! It touched my heart so much to see all these dear people show up on a Saturday to stand behind a ministry I care so much about. They didn't do it for me, but I sure benefited by seeing how compassionate and loving these sweet people are and how they want to make a difference in one child's life.  Many of the familiar faces help put on and coordinate our church Foster Parent Night Out and have been touching the lives of foster children that way for a whole year. Many others are just so encouraging and supportive of all the foster families at church and help out with childcare and give special gifts and cards at just the right time. Still others I saw are respite care providers that play such an important role in foster care. Foster parents need a break sometimes and having loving respite families who are ready and willing to take foster kids takes a lot of pressure off. I'm so blessed by the body of believers I am so privileged to serve with at Salem Heights and I want them all to know how their caring has touched my heart and renewed my faith in people.I love that there are so many ways to help care for and love foster children. It's not just foster families. It takes all these roles working together to give best care to these kids.

Before the walk/run, Billy Cordero shared a sweet story that so beautifully paints a picture of how I feel about fostering I thought I'd share it here as well.

The Starfish StoryOriginal Story by: Loren Eisley

 

One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed
a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean. 

Approaching the boy, he asked, "What are you doing?"

The youth replied, "Throwing starfish back into the ocean.  The surf is up and the tide is going out.  If I don't throw them back, they'll die."

"Son," the man said, "don't you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish?  You can't make a difference!"

After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish,
and threw it back into the surf.  Then, smiling at the man, he said,
"I made a difference for that one."

Right now my family is trying to make a difference for this one. He is so precious and in need of love and safety and we're doing what we can do, for this one. There are more than 13,000 children in foster care in Oregon. I cannot possibly help all of them, but to this little baby I hold in my arm, I pray I'm making a difference.On child at a time. 

As National foster care month comes to close, I hope you'll continue to pray for, support, love and encourage the foster families you know and  consider how you can help change the life of even just one child.