Happy New Year, + Foster Care, Week 4

Happy New Year! We never mailed a Christmas card this year. I guess we'll put that on the list of resolutions... 

We settled back in to daily life after we got home from Dallas. Buzz didn't go back to school until Wednesday, so we had a long couple of days! It was nice to be able to sleep in and lay around, but also would have been good for him to have something to do.

We got to see Michelle and Shannon on New Year's Eve!

Vera is really close to standing and walking. 13 months old on Wednesday!

We're back in a routine, now, though, because over the weekend Grant and I went to the Cottonbowl! Yeah! It was a lot of fun. We got to see some family, friends, and KSU play against Arkansas. They lost, but it was still a good time. We loved going on a trip without the kids. It will definitely be something we do regularly.

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Foster care is going okay. It is still harder than I ever imagined. It is professional parenting, and an indefinite commitment. Buzz is an obedient kid, but we have to direct his behavior at least 50% of the time. Eventually, we expect that will improve. Until then, it can be exhausting! 

As far as the commitment level... when a kid comes in to foster care, no one knows how long he/she will be in. Could be a day, could be forever. That's quite a spectrum. That adds to the complexity, because not only are we taking care of the kid temporarily, we don't know how long we've committed to. The work we put forth to help Buzz has to be without strings attached. We may not see him learn certain things we teach him. We have to be okay with loving him fully and completely right now, not knowing if we will see the fruits of our labor. It is a hard thing to do. We are giving him all we can, emotionally. We are giving him time, energy, and love. And we may not get that in return from him (completely) ever. 

As I write this, it is a good reminder that my purpose isn't for him to ever give to me in return. I cannot look to him for reassurance that I'm doing the right things or that my time is worth it. I cannot put my hope in him looking to me as his savior. I need him to look to Jesus as his only hope. And I need him to remind me that my only hope is also in Jesus. Without Jesus, I am hopeless. Because Jesus came and died on the cross for my sins, I can have a relationship with God and hope for an Eternal Life. Through my loving of Buzz, I need to point him towards Jesus as well. And that makes all this effort to care for Buzz worth it. 

And, surprise, Buzz's 13 year old sister is coming to live with us in a couple weeks. Pray for us! Watch out world, we're going to have a teenager, young child, and toddler/baby! I have to trust God in all of this.