by John Mehl on March 07, 2022
All I have to do is have a brief conversation with someone involved in foster care and I quickly become aware of the great challenges and the great rewards involved.
The thing is, oftentimes (far too often) it’s exactly because of the greatness of the challenges and rewards that I can avoid these conversations. (Gasp!)
I’m a solver (or at least I’m a wanna-be-solver). I strive to clearly understand or summarize the state of things. And especially in the world of foster care, there aren’t always direct solutions or clear summaries. There are case by case personal stories, each one distinct from the next and many of them are on a very large scale. And, honestly, the scope of the matter can just overwhelm me.
But boy am I thankful that God isn’t overwhelmed by the intimate details of our lives or the great complexity of the challenges in our world! And, by extension, I am thankful that his Spirit is moving in the hearts of his people that, even though they can’t comprehensively solve issues, are willing and able to make a positive difference however they can.
I am inspired by helpers like this! I see the generous heart of the Lord in people willing to get involved in any facet of foster care efforts. In cases where there are immediate and time-pressing needs to care for children and their families in our community, the hands and feet of the Church readily step up and say, “I am here with you and for you because Jesus did that for me.”
I want to share this inspiration with you. Through our weekend services and social media posts, we are presenting a handful of videos from Chris and Liz Brodzinski. You’ll hear about a family’s journey into and through foster care. You’ll hear details about practical ways you can help support families just like them. And you’ll hear words directly from this family for people going through both challenging and rewarding seasons they have been through themselves. This Timberline family is one example of people moved by the Spirit to get involved in foster care both personally and professionally. Take some time to listen to their story. Resist the temptation to feel overwhelmed by the sheer complexity of the foster care need and be inspired by a family and support system around them that simply wanted to make things better however they could.
Watch their story here:
View Full Q&A with Chris and Liz here
My hope and prayer is that as you and I lean in, even just a little more, to the foster care needs in our community and the stories of those already involved, we will gain empathy, wisdom, and encouragement. There are things that we can do. There are things we can celebrate. There are people already involved that we can help. There are prayers that we can offer as we gain greater levels of understanding.
This encouragement for you and I to lean in and listen is true for all kinds of personal and societal issues. God doesn’t ask us to solve the whole scope of societal needs. He does ask us to seek his truth and his heart. He does ask us to listen and care. And then, to whatever degree he puts a responsibility on our hearts, he moves us to action.
While I may consider myself to be a solver, I’m not. I don’t have that kind of wisdom or ability. But you and I serve a God who is infinitely intimate and comprehensively faithful. So if he has a special bend towards the marginalized and desperate in our world, may that be true for his people! Let’s follow the heart of Jesus for the children and families in need in our community. Let’s lean in to hear a little more about the challenges and the rewards of foster care.
No matter the nature of the need or issue you and I are responsible for by the Spirit’s leading, if the Church listens to what the Lord is asking of us, how mighty the impact will be!
For more information or to get connected to Inspirational Foster Care opportunities in Weld County, click here.
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