Tomorrow is Mother's Day. For 24 years, this has been a very difficult day for me. While I am VERY blessed to have a Godly mother, I am brought to tears each year. On this day, I don't get to hug my daughter. She doesn't look at me with love in her eyes and wish me happy Mother's Day. She hugs another woman. She wishes happy Mother's Day to another woman. The woman God chose to be her mom.
But for the past 5 years, I have been humbled. People wish ME a happy Mother's Day. This year, someone even sent me a dozen chocolate covered strawberries and said they were from all the children who can not tell me how much they appreciate me. While I am NOT the mother to these children.....I do like to think of myself as their "middle mom" (There is a book of this title that I highly recommend you read immediately).
This year.....the mothers of all of these children (30 so far) are heavy on my heart. Only 2 moms have earned renewed custody of their children. So, there are many moms out there who will not get to hug their children tomorrow. Their children will not wish them happy Mother's Day. And, while many people have said...."well, its their own fault, their own doing"....as I have stated before...their sin is no different from yours or mine. They are still moms. And they will still weep over missing their child on Mother's Day. So, this year....please join me in lifting these mothers in prayer. That God will grant them peace. That they will know His forgiveness, and be able to forgive themselves.
Because.....giving birth to a child DOES make you a mother. I love my daughter more today than I did the day she was born. And these moms, while they are not able to mother their children....ARE the mother to these children. They carried them for 9 months. They gave birth to them. And, while not shown in the same way you and I would show it...they LOVE these children.
So, remember to pray for them. To love them. Because....its Mother's Day.
Showing posts with label God's direction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God's direction. Show all posts
Saturday, May 10, 2014
Sunday, May 4, 2014
Oh, what we can learn from them!
This has, personally, been a very difficult week for me. And, I allowed it (to be completely honest and transparent) to steal my joy. I have spent a lot of time in tears, and questioning God's path for my life, and in prayer. I have felt sorry for myself. Beyond that....I have pretty much wallowed in self pity. Woe is me....why did this happen...whaaa whaaa whaaa.
This morning, before getting all of us ready for Church, I was sitting in my chair watching my 2 precious girls play together (17 mos and 12 mos). They were laughing and playing, and joy was just pouring out of them. The 17 mo old has been with me almsot a year. Her bio mom is Bi polar, and would terrify this precious baby when she would transition into a manic phase. The 12 mo old has only been with me for 2 months, and came to me burned, and having never connected/bonded with her bio mom. Yet, these 2 little girls can find the smallest things to just DOUBLE over in laughter about. They smile at the simplest things. They look at me, and just BEAM with joy. If anyone has the right (not sure if this is the correct word, but its the best I can come up with right now) to wallow in self pity, to question WHY their life has gone this way, to spend hours in tears......these 2 girls have it! But, no......they choose to look at me, their "parent", their care giver, the person whose job it is to keep them safe.....and KNOW beyond any shadow of a doubt that I have their best interest at heart. That I am going to always do what is best for them. That I will not allow any one/thing hurt them.
Why then, do I not remember to look at my Heavenly Father with that same trust and faith??? What a wonderful way God chose to remind me of this fact. No matter what happens in my life....He is my Father. He will keep me safe. He has my best interest at heart. He is always going to do what is best for me. And, while there are things I allow to hurt me......I have allowed this pain because I am not trusting 100% in His plan for my life. He will never leave me nor forsake me.
The joy of The Lord is my stregnth! And, The Lord watches over ALL His children. Some He entrusts to me for a while, but He is always watching over them and showing them His joy! Oh, to have their innocence! Oh, to have their ability to trust completely! Oh, to remember that the joy of The Lord is MY strength!
Thank you, Father, for this reminder. For allowing me to see their joy.
This morning, before getting all of us ready for Church, I was sitting in my chair watching my 2 precious girls play together (17 mos and 12 mos). They were laughing and playing, and joy was just pouring out of them. The 17 mo old has been with me almsot a year. Her bio mom is Bi polar, and would terrify this precious baby when she would transition into a manic phase. The 12 mo old has only been with me for 2 months, and came to me burned, and having never connected/bonded with her bio mom. Yet, these 2 little girls can find the smallest things to just DOUBLE over in laughter about. They smile at the simplest things. They look at me, and just BEAM with joy. If anyone has the right (not sure if this is the correct word, but its the best I can come up with right now) to wallow in self pity, to question WHY their life has gone this way, to spend hours in tears......these 2 girls have it! But, no......they choose to look at me, their "parent", their care giver, the person whose job it is to keep them safe.....and KNOW beyond any shadow of a doubt that I have their best interest at heart. That I am going to always do what is best for them. That I will not allow any one/thing hurt them.
Why then, do I not remember to look at my Heavenly Father with that same trust and faith??? What a wonderful way God chose to remind me of this fact. No matter what happens in my life....He is my Father. He will keep me safe. He has my best interest at heart. He is always going to do what is best for me. And, while there are things I allow to hurt me......I have allowed this pain because I am not trusting 100% in His plan for my life. He will never leave me nor forsake me.
The joy of The Lord is my stregnth! And, The Lord watches over ALL His children. Some He entrusts to me for a while, but He is always watching over them and showing them His joy! Oh, to have their innocence! Oh, to have their ability to trust completely! Oh, to remember that the joy of The Lord is MY strength!
Thank you, Father, for this reminder. For allowing me to see their joy.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Introduction before we share this journey
Have you ever argued with God? I have! And, might I add, I have NEVER won an argument with Him.
My name is Jennifer, Miss Jennifer to my precious foster children. I am 41 years old, I have never been married, and I have no children.
So, you can understand WHY, when I felt God calling me to be a foster parent, I argued with Him for a while. One day, in the middle of 2008, at the age of 39, I felt God calling me to be a foster parent to children 2 years of age and younger. I almost made an appointment to visit a psychiatrist, because I just new I was losing my mind. There are SO many more qualified people out there! People who have husbands (I had lost the love of my life 2 years prior), people who had raised children, people who others looked at and said "WOW, she'd make a great mom". I was none of these things. I was a single woman with 3 dogs, whose parents live almost 700 miles away. I enjoyed my free time, liked having extra cash, and loved spending time with my friends almost every night! But, the more I argued these points with Him, the stronger the pull to begin this journey became.
I sat down with the pastor of the Church I was attending, and told him my dilemma. I FELT like God was calling me to do this. But, it made no sense at all. So, maybe it was Satan, trying to lead me astray. The pastor gave me some very good advice. He said, if I thought this was something God was calling me to do, start working towards it. If God didn't want me to do this, He would close the door, and I would have my answer. Sometimes, God just wants to see if we will be obedient to Him!
And, this, my friends, began the "Journey of a single foster mom".
My name is Jennifer, Miss Jennifer to my precious foster children. I am 41 years old, I have never been married, and I have no children.
So, you can understand WHY, when I felt God calling me to be a foster parent, I argued with Him for a while. One day, in the middle of 2008, at the age of 39, I felt God calling me to be a foster parent to children 2 years of age and younger. I almost made an appointment to visit a psychiatrist, because I just new I was losing my mind. There are SO many more qualified people out there! People who have husbands (I had lost the love of my life 2 years prior), people who had raised children, people who others looked at and said "WOW, she'd make a great mom". I was none of these things. I was a single woman with 3 dogs, whose parents live almost 700 miles away. I enjoyed my free time, liked having extra cash, and loved spending time with my friends almost every night! But, the more I argued these points with Him, the stronger the pull to begin this journey became.
I sat down with the pastor of the Church I was attending, and told him my dilemma. I FELT like God was calling me to do this. But, it made no sense at all. So, maybe it was Satan, trying to lead me astray. The pastor gave me some very good advice. He said, if I thought this was something God was calling me to do, start working towards it. If God didn't want me to do this, He would close the door, and I would have my answer. Sometimes, God just wants to see if we will be obedient to Him!
And, this, my friends, began the "Journey of a single foster mom".
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