Living outside your Comfort Zone

I've been considering something for awhile now.  I haven't put it into words, because once you do, I think it takes on a whole new reality.

It goes from a thought, to a vision, to a goal.

This morning, Hallie & I walked a mile with little bitty suitcases, (Along with about 2000 people) for the 8,068 kids that are in foster care in Oklahoma.

I don't know about you, but my heart is broken for these kids.

I've been going to CASA training, to become a Court Appointed Special Advocate...which in short means I am the ears and eyes of the judge.  I advocate for the child that has been removed from the home.  I get to know the child, their parents, all the adults in their lives, all the "players", so to speak.  Then I tell what I find out to the judge, and he decides if the child should stay in the home or go into the system to be placed for permanent care.

In other words, they lose their family.

Even in a crapped out family, it's all these kids know.  It's their "Home".  And they are taken away.  And depending on their ages, they are separated, or put into group homes, or shelters.  I don't even want to talk to you about some of the things that I hear go on in some of these places.

And all these children, think in their poor little heads, that somehow THEY caused it.  I don't know about you, but my heart is broken.

There are NOT enough foster homes for these kids.  And the older kids??? Forget about it.  They carry problems from their background, and who needs problems, right?  Who needs to add more worry to their homes?  Who has time to add one more kid?  Who has the money to add one more kid?  Who wants DHS to have the ability to drop in anytime they want to check on these kids??

Well, I do.

I can't be a CASA and a foster parent at the same time.  So I think after today, that I am choosing to be a foster parent.  I want the older kids, the ones that everyone says are "Broken" and "Too damaged" to blend in a home.  Because GOD LOVES CHILDREN.    I can't think that He would EVER have walked by a child needing help and ignored them.

I'm so consumed with worry and "What if's?"..... God has this and He will carefully guide me through this next journey.

Hallie is SO in.  She's not concerned of the problems or the potential of stretching herself too thin...the worry a 13 year old has...."She can totally have my old phone...and use your plan."   Maybe it can be as simple as that.   All I know.  God has it, and He is calling me to open my home to these kids that need love and fun and stability, and I'm going to do it.

They just better get ready, this family is going to rock their socks off their feet.

God is good, all the time.