(I'll be back posting from my journal for awhile to get caught up to date.)
Friday, January 31, 2014
I've been successfully pursuing real estate for the last 4 years, but something was missing. I knew that the real estate chapter in my life was coming to an end, but I didn't know when to actually define that moment.
As I was listening to our pastor's sermon from last week. He was preaching from Peter and talking about living our lives while walking in our giftings.
1 Peter 4:7-11
7 But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. 8 And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.”[a] 9 Be hospitable to one another without grumbling.10 As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 11 If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
As he preached, I felt God confirming that the door to real estate was closing for me...still not sure about the timing though. Then he read the verse on being hospitable. He said, there are a lot of ways you can be hospitable...you can have people over for dinner, host orphans in the Fall when they come for a few weeks, but the most beautiful picture of hospitality is fostering children...I felt an immediate switch in my heart regarding my view of fostering. I had always thought that wasn't for us, that foster/adopting was for other people. It's a whole different world in fact, one that I couldn't/wouldn't be a part of. I felt inadequate and that I hadn't been called to that. Well in that moment, everything changed. I knew that I wanted to foster. I knew that I could foster. I knew that the past year of trying to get pregnant was God preparing our home for a child...just not a biological one. I couldn't believe how excited and how sure I was of this! I also knew that this was the confirmation I needed to step away from real estate now and devote my whole heart to our family and fostering. Even though I was cutting the possibility of a real income, I knew that the money wasn't as important and that God would bless my obedience.
I called Mr. Dad, and told him to think about it. He didn't react the way I expected. He didn't say one negative thing, and said he'd think about it too. We both had a lot of questions, so I called a friend who has been a foster parent to babies/toddlers for the past few years. We talked for a long time and everything she said was reassuring.
Later when Mr. Dad came home, I didn't want to bring up the subject again, because I didn't want to push him. He brought it up! He said something about how he'd been thinking about it, and how he could see us doing it. He said he was happy that I was happy about pursuing something again.
I talked to a few friends who had experience with the local foster/adoption agencies about which agency to pursue. One friend said that there was a specific agency known for processing foster licensing the fastest. So I found that agency online and printed out all of their forms. There were SO many, and they wanted me to gather a ridiculous amount of documents (birth certificates, social security cards, driver's license, home insurance proof, car insurance proof, family dog shot records, high school transcripts, W-2) I had most of these things ready, but had to order our HS transcripts and Mr. Dad's birth certificate.
We asked the kids what they thought about us fostering, and they were so excited! So, here we go...
