Envisioning a Brighter Tomorrow: Hopeful Prospects for a Better Tomorrow

 Foster care is hard.  Adoption is hard. There is loss, there is grief, and if we choose to look away from that for our own convenience or to shelter ourselves means that we have missed the mark for these people.  It means missed opportunity to sit in the brokenness and find compassion, offer healing that only Jesus can bring.  

There are a lot of voices in the world who say there is no hope for kids in care or adopted people.  That the trauma that they have endured is so great that there is no escape from the pain of life filled with wounds and so anger and bitterness is the only path.  

Being a person who experienced loss at the early age of 2, then losing my mother at 13, I know loss.  I  understand pain.  Those allow me to feel deeply for those grieving, most likely more than the average person.  But the more pressing question, the question that should be burned into the hearts and minds of every Christian is, "What does the Bible say"?  

From Genesis to Revelation, God leads the broken.  Moses.  His mother, for his protection, abandoned him in a river, knowing that the Lord could protect and shelter him way more than she could.  He was brought in by Pharaoh's daughter and by what can only be seen as diving provision, was placed back into the loving arms of his mother.  He went on to make mistakes, but ultimately was responsible for leading God's people out of bondage. Esther.  Esther was adopted by her uncle after the death of her parents.  She grew in favor with everyone around her due to the confidence she found in her Lord.  Upon finding a devious plan to kill all Jewish people, Esther was able to uncover the horrendous plan and save God's people from destruction.  

The stories go on and on and give a clear picture of how the Lord can use, bless, and fill with hope, people who have lost their first families. I don't want to downplay the trauma that comes from care, or the many, many other life circumstances that can come along that cause pain beyond any human belief.  If you are so far gone in your grief, that you can't even think there is any hope in the journey, rest in this that is missing from the equation.  "The Lord is close to the broken hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit".  Psalms 34:18 Or consider this quote from Rick Warren: "Your greatest ministry will most likely come out of your greatest hurt".  Encouraging each other through the pains and trials of life is the only acceptable response.  How we inspire the broken speaks more than any knowledge we can possess.