As Ronnie and I originally began to discuss the kinds of children that could be coming into our home, we realized that we were setting some pretty high standards as to what we were "comfortable" with; babies or toddlers, no sibling groups, no severe special needs, and no children for emergency care (only those already available for adoption). Well, we had our first day of Foster Care training last weekend and it really opened our eyes. Everything we thought we wanted previously has now changed. We had some question & answer time with a lot of Foster Families and it was our favorite part of the training. It was so refreshing to get first-hand accounts of what they experience on a day-to-day basis, both challenging and rewarding aspects. One of the highlights was meeting a fellow military family (who have also struggled with infertility) and they went from having no children to a sibling group of 3 overnight. On top of that, they took in another child, to bring the total to 4 kids under the age of 5. What an inspiration! They did end up purchasing a mini-van for their growing family, which I still am boycotting as long as possible; SUV's all the way if I can help it:) We also met another couple around our age who went from being childless to adopting an 8-year-old girl; they told us that God gave them everything they needed to raise that child and they love her as if she was their very own. It was devastating to hear that these "older" children have such a hard time getting adopted because they don't fit the "desirable" criteria. Yes, they may have more issues than younger kids, but they are still in need of so much love and stability. Needless to say, our hearts have changed. We are now open to a broader range of ages for the children, we are more than willing to bring in sibling groups, we will accept children with moderate special needs, and we are almost certain that we will be taking kids in on an emergency, as-needed basis. There are just too many kids out there who need a home for us to be picky. I'm not saying that people should not have certain preferences or requirements, because I think they can and should. It's just that for us, we know that God is calling us out of our comfort zone. Bottom line, they are all precious children of God and they desperately need the love and security of a forever family. We are now just praying for the children that will eventually be coming into our home: boy or girl, an only child or sibling groups, easy or troubled, sensitive or angry, here for a short time or in our lives forever. We know that God's plan is perfect and we trust that he knows what is in store for our family.
So, as Ronnie is finishing up the bunk-beds and putting the final pieces together, I can't help but daydream about the sweet little souls that will be sleeping in those beds, possibly in the next couple months. I imagine them climbing up and down the ladder, arranging their stuffed animals by their pillow, and saying their prayers before they fall asleep. I feel so blessed that God has allowed us to purchase these beds so we can finally be one step closer to bringing children into our home. For now, I still have quite a bit of preparing to do before our home-study. And I am enjoying every minute of it... cleaning out the bedrooms, child-proofing the house, picking out kids furniture, choosing comforter sets, and purchasing a bright green piggy bank:) I hope and pray that these kids will someday have a happy and comfortable place to call "home."
-Heather
