Why We Do This

Day 2 of National Foster Care Month: My Why

My first exposure to the foster care system was while I was in college. Our college community had a really large number of foster parents. It’s really easy, ESPECIALLY as a college student, to go through life blissfully unaware of the brokenness within your community. To “look away” from those in need. But instead, the Lord used my college years to gently started revealing to me a calling He was putting on my life — to serve vulnerable children and families. I got to watch these everyday, ordinary women and their husbands step into the role of “foster parents.” I saw kiddos come in and out of their homes… all while they worked, tended to their other children, supported their husbands, participated in the local church. They so beautifully led the way in building foster ministry into their daily lives, simply by loving children, even when it was hard.

Before Erick and I got married, we knew we wanted a house full of children. My biggest dream was to be a mom and his to be a dad. Watching these families in our community step into the role of “parenting” children that were not their own broke our hearts in a different way. It expanded our view of what it could mean to be “mom and dad.” We knew we had a deep desire to love children and give them a loving home where they could learn, grow, and thrive. Because of our community at Gardner-Webb, we started to believe we could serve in that role for any child who needed it.

When we got married (2018), we quickly got pregnant and had our first child (2019). Shortly after, we got pregnant again and lost a baby (2020). After that loss, we were reminded of our deep desire to love and parent a house full of children. We always thought we would foster “eventually,” but the Lord used that loss to remind us of our heart to love and serve children in our home, in whatever way we could. That year, we decided to go ahead and get our foster license while we continued to try to grow our family biologically. We wanted to put our “yes” on the table to whatever children the Lord felt needed to be in our home. We had another baby after getting our license (2021), and gave ourselves time to adjust to having 2 children. When we were settled, we officially opened our home and welcomed our first foster child (2022).

Since welcoming our first foster child in the Spring of 2022, we’ve gotten to serve as “parents” to 16 children who were not born to us. We’ve gotten to love, nurture, and guide them for as long as they needed. We’ve tended to their wounds (emotionally and physically), met their needs (emotionally and physically), and shouldered their burdens… all with the hope of giving them a glimpse of the love their Heavenly Father has for them. For them to learn that they are precious — worthy of love and tender care.

Erick and I have had many conversations about why we do this… mostly, we’ve landed on, “why not?” We can make room in our home, hearts, and schedule… so why wouldn’t we? God has asked us to lay down our lives for the sake of His children, so we do, quite literally. Inviting them into our day to day life, loving them however they need.

So, I guess my why is simple — I believe every child deserves a safe and loving home… and we have a safe and loving home to offer. ❤️

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your lives as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” Romans 12:1