How I Came to See Foster Care as Spiritual Exercise

My husband and I have fostered several children over the ten years of our marriage.  We also adopted our son as a fourteen-year-old.  We had known early on that, due to health issues, we would not be able to have children biologically. Despite the heartache this caused, we decided that we would be open to life by welcoming children in need into our home. While I always saw this as a way to serve God, I never viewed foster care as an opportunity to grow spiritually until this past Lenten season. 

We had been having a relaxing typical Monday morning (my husband was off work that day) when we received a call from our foster care agency.  A nine-year-old girl needed a foster home.  At first, I assumed that she was currently in school and that we would have at least a few hours to prepare for her arrival.  After all, it was a school day.  However, our social worker informed us that she would be at our home in about 20 minutes.

While we had previously been sitting comfortably on our couch and planning the day, now we were scrambling to tidy up our spare room, prepare a bed, and make sure everything in our home was properly child proof.   My mind began racing with thoughts of the unknown, would be the right home for her, how could we make her feel as comfortable as possible, how long would she stay with us?

Hope, as I will refer to her from now on, arrived at our doorstep terrified.  She had been woken up by police breaking down the door of her home earlier that morning and was completely distressed by what had happened. Our hearts broke for her.  Hope’s entire world had just been turned upside down.

All that we could do was to sit with her and be there to listen.  It occurred to me that this was the true meaning of compassion, to “suffer with.”  It was then that saw how I could see this a time to grow closer to Christ.   Here was an opportunity to get beyond myself and give up comfort and convenience.  Hope was walking her way of the cross and I could be there to walk with her.  Comforts, routines and predictability could wait.

Hope would only be with us for one night before being approved to go with a family member.  We prayed with her and did our best to show Gods love.  When it came time to say goodbye my husband and I prayed for her entire family and thanked him for trusting her with us.  Beyond the practical side of fostering, I learned that it could also be an opportunity for spiritual growth.

May God bless all children in foster care, their families, and those who care for them.

St. Joesph, foster father of Jesus. Pray for us.