Are You My Mother?

Are You My Mother is one of my favorite children's books and I have read it to my own kids countless times. It's the simple story of a little bird who hatches while his mother goes looking for something for him to eat. He falls out of the nest and proceeds to walk around looking at various animals and things to try and find his mother, asking each one if they are his mother. Eventually he is put back in his nest and she arrives right at that moment, and he knows that he has found her.
We finished the process and got licensed as foster parents in February. We took a trip to Honduras in March, very similar to last year, and about a week after we got back we got the first call. The next morning we were on our way to the next town over to pick up this little 12 month old from daycare to bring him home. It was a bit surreal looking in the playground at several little toddlers thinking to ourselves "is that him?, or is it that one?" Little Z was the last one and after very little instruction and his bottle of milk he came right with us with no tears. We had enlisted many of our family and friends to pray for the transition and the Lord answered that prayer abundantly. Even though he was a happy, easy baby it was still an adjustment having a 12 month old in the house again. It didn't help that we had him only 10 days before we left for a trip to Florida - thankfully we found a sweet family we knew from MAPP classes that provided respite care (took him in for the 5 days we were gone). Steven was asked to preach at a church in Orlando, Florida, so of course we couldn't go all that way and not visit some parks! We ended up renting a big van and taking my Mom, two of our  nephews, and a sweet young friend of ours from Virginia who met a sweet young friend of hers down in Florida. Those two "friends" are now getting married in November. :)
Sadie told Steven before he preached that he "better make it good" so we'd get invited back. Ha! No need to mince words, I guess!
We got Z back when we got home and after he finally got over a bad cold he started to really enjoy our family. He went to lots of soccer games, playdates, children's museums, and parks. This summer he loved the pool and the two trips he got to take with us. He is very lovable and quickly found his way in our hearts. In June we found out that he would be leaving us to go live with a family member. He left in July, exactly 4 months after he came. Foster care is definitely a roller coaster of emotions. Lots of unknowns.  I took him in knowing we weren't going to keep him and prepared my children's hearts accordingly. What I wasn't expecting was just how attached he was going to be to us, and that I couldn't explain to him why one night I would read his favorite books and sing Amazing Grace, as normal, then the next he'd be in a strange environment without the people he loved. That beloved book hit me hard, thinking of little Z, like that little bird, confused and alone. Again, as many times before, I had to simply pray and leave it in the Lord's hands. Should I have not loved him? Not cared for him? Of course not. It is the one reason I hear most about why people can't do foster care - "I would just get too attached!" Well, we all did. And that's ok. My hope is that the attachment he had with us, the love he felt in our family, that the Lord will use in a good way in his life. That ultimately Z will come to know Jesus and find fulfillment in the Lord and not his broken little life. And that God would get the glory. In the meantime we wait for another call, another life, another adventure...trusting the Lord each step of the way.