It's been an adventure, friends! We have gone through personal requirements, training, background checks, financial checks... We've submitted photos of our home and neighborhood, information about our school district and which ice cream parlor we frequent (okay, not true on that last one, but close).
We are finally nearing those last steps—the home study! While there are several requirements, as far as the room goes, it has to be a certain size per amount of children living there, there has to be a door, a place to sleep, and a place to put their things. Even if their things show up with them in a garbage bag or a backpack (cue my breaking heart). In classic Kirsten fashion, selecting furniture took awhile. Striving to be good stewards of the money we've saved, earned, and that which has been generously gifted to us, we spent many weekends scouring thrift stores and buy/sell sites...until this beaut showed up.
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Let me just say, I love being a part of student ministry. I don't use that word lightly. It is one of my deep joys in life and I take the responsibility extremely seriously. I have been involved with students from a young age, helping with VBS and children's camps even when I was in high school.
When I moved to Houston, I attended a church where I helped establish the Children's Church program and assisted with children's choir. That was in 2005 and I am still in touch with some of those church members, including students! This is not a boastful statement. This is to say that God uses even the most unlikely of humans to spread His love and message. At the time God nudged me into volunteering in my present church, I was more than skeptical. I was not the right person for this type of job. But, as He often does, God spoke to me through others who let me know that this is where I needed to be. About 90% of this blog is the glass half full side of things. It's the "Pollyanna" version if you will—as it should be and as it shall remain. But y'all, let me be honest. This process can be hard. It is trying and frustrating, and there are days when I wonder if it might just be too much. There are several times when I wonder if we're cut out for this type of commitment. I've heard more than once, "Wow, they sure make you go through a lot to do this." It's true. I'm not saying it's not warranted. As we've covered before, we are being entrusted with other people's children if you really boil it down. Wouldn't you want to make sure people are vetted and trained? Think about how well you research your pediatrician or a childcare facility. You don't just flip through the phone book (I know, old school), choose a name, and think yep, that'll work. You do your research! Maybe you ask for recommendations, references, or site visits. It's not that different, really.
Still, there are days when it's just plain hard. I've said to a confidant before: Sometimes I think they are trying to pick the weak ones off from the herd. They are seeing who really has what it takes. As we've mentioned before here in the blog, there's a place for everyone when it comes to the mission of looking after the widows and the orphans. (James 1:27)
Perhaps you aren't called to be a foster parent or a case worker, but there are so many other ways you can help! One of those is by becoming certified to babysit for a foster family. That's right. We can't just call up Nancy the neighborhood teenager and ask her to watch our foster kids. There are several rules and regulations around that as well. Most agencies require background checks, training, and for some, CPR certification. The training is not as rigorous as ours, but still, this person is also being chosen to care for children who have been entrusted to the custody of someone other than their biological parents. You can imagine the strain this can put on foster parents. Now imagine if there were certified babysitters right in their very own circle who could step in during unforeseen emergencies and help! (Or just when you need to go to the grocery store by yourself and relish in the quiet of the deli aisle.) |
AuthorWriting is really my outlet, so you'll mostly see my prose on here. But William might occasionally make a guest appearance. Archives
May 2021
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