A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families…(Psalm 68:5-6 NIV)
Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy. (Proverbs 31:8-9 NIV)
And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. (Matthew 18:5 NIV)
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My son and daughter-in-love feel called to do emergency foster care, and are in the process of taking classes to be certified by the state. Today I found this social media post [not theirs!] and was reminded, again, how many children need care.
“Yesterday I woke up with 6 kids.
“We got home late from swimming and at 9:30 pm our phone rang. 3 kids needed a place to go.
“Why would they call us? We already have SIX kids!
“Well because social workers had been driving around for almost 4 hours trying to find somewhere for them to go. So at 11:00 pm – 2 of my favorite social workers – everyone exhausted- brought 3 precious kids to our house.
“I woke up yesterday with 6 kids – and today I woke up with 9.
“That sounds ludicrous doesn’t it?
“But if not us… who?
“We have 9 because there ARE NOT ENOUGH foster homes to house the kids who need them.
“So side eye me at Wal-Mart if you may. But….
“I dare anyone to say this is too much for us. Because it is.
“I dare you to say someone else should – who?
“I dare you to say that we should have told these kids “no.” How could we?
“A friend reminded me today – Jesus himself was born in a barn because everyone said no there isn’t room.
“I’ll make room.”
God of Love,
May we, your Church, make room to foster parent these tender young ones whose lives are ripped apart by circumstances beyond their control. May we, your Church, be people who help these young and wounded ones to heal. May we, your Church, love, resource, and support families who are fostering or raising adopted children.
And, God, we pray that somehow you will heal the family wounds that lead to children needing to be fostered and adopted.
These prayers seem too large to be possible, but we serve you, and impossibly huge God. So we ask in boldness and faith that you will, by your Spirit, move on the people who love you and call you Lord. Move within the hearts of those in your Church to meet these needs, we pray in Jesus’s name. AMEN.
(From “Something Interest” on Facebook. I don’t have any way to verify that this story is true, but I know there are millions of kids who need homes.)