Thanks for the giving

I have always taken Thanksgiving for granted.  Plenty of food, lots of laughs, games, pie, tv, and family.  It's a given.

I've lived a sheltered life.

This year, I hosted my lovelies, and in addition, I invited the 17 year old sister (going forward Big Sis), and 3 year old baby brother, (going forward BB).  Also found out that our caseworker doesn't have family here either, so just for giggles, we invited her too.

I didn't tell Big Sis, and the Lovelies that BB was coming, so when the doorbell rang at 11:30 and there stood BB with our caseworker....Chaos abounded.

Time to eat, I had been carrying stuff from my house to mom's house, and cooking and cutting and peeling and preparing (Even though Mom's house ALWAYS smells better) and finally it was time for lunch.

Lovely offered the prayer (she NEVER eats a meal without praying first, it's very humbling for me), and as Big sister fixed her plate, she was spooning dressing, and she looked over her shoulder and said, "This is first time we ever have a family Thanksgiving.  We have people bring food in a box (?), but never got to eat a meal as a family."    Well, just knock me over.  BB ate his weight in turkey and ham, and potatoes, and LB ate everything on his plate like a trooper.  Lovely never has trouble eating, and I just had to get her to use a fork, and all was good at the table.

There are times when I am so overwhelmed by the decision to foster.  If I project too far out, and think about a month from now, or how my life will look next summer, I get overwhelmed to the point of panic.  So, I eat this elephant one tiny bite at a time.

I think in all things this should be the way I handle life.  When I started my classes at OU, I printed off the syllabus and was so overwhelmed at the class as a whole, I almost dropped.  Then instead of viewing the class as an 8 week trial, I took it as an assignment to assignment basis.  I quit looking at the TOTAL, and looked at the parts.  The parts are easy.  One at a time,  not worrying about next week's task, just handling the matter at hand.....it has worked out, and I can do each piece with excellence, instead of worrying about the whole thing.

Same thing with these kids.  If I look at the whole picture...it's too big, too complex.  Instead, I look at the kids and just take it one step at a time.  Sure, I look at big things, like doctors and dentists and things that have to be taken care of, but for the emotional issues, and the anger issues....we handle those as they come.  And I'm not so overwhelmed by the "Whole"  that I can't take care of the "Part".

I bought the kids a bunk bed.   I had two twin beds that I needed to move (my house runneth over with spare parts of beds, etc), so I ran an ad on craigslist to recoup my money on the new bunk bed.... and with everything, I put on Craigslist...I got immediate interest.

I love how God sends validation of your work.  I have invaluable Facebook support from friends that encourage me daily.   It keeps me going.

But, when God sends strangers...it's overwhelming.

This gorgeous eye candy of about 35 steps out of his truck (Yes, I can appreciate handsome men, I'm not dead), and starts helping me move the pieces of the bed frames he has bought.  He notices all the clothes in my garage (It is ridiculous), and I share with him that I am a foster mom, and we just bought a bunk bed, and those clothes are for other foster parents and that I'm not sure how to proceed.

He stops in his tracks and looks me over from head to toe  (Hmm).  I can tell he is processing, and then he looks me square in the eye and says, "Because of people like you, I am who I am today."  He goes on, "I was in several group homes, and was horribly abused in them, and it was finally when I got placed in my foster mom and dad's home, that I had a chance to become who I am.   I have 5 kids of my own today, and it's because someone opened their home to me, and gave me a life".

Well, slap me on the face and call me Nancy.

I hugged him (which didn't hurt my feelings), and I told him, 'You aren't going to pay me for those beds", and he said, "I wish I could pay you more".   We finally compromised and agreed to the amount I had asked, and with a final hug...we parted ways.

I'm nothing special.  This is something everyone reading this could do.  We should all become givers and help with these foster kids that haven't had family meals, and felt family and need someone to invest in them and give them a sense of who they can be.

It just takes you saying Yes.

It will rock your world in all kinds of ways.