It's a funny thing having started our parenting journey by temporarily parenting other peoples kids.
There are many moments through the days where I feel like I'm a complete poser.
At the park when someone naturally assumes the girls mine and asks how far apart they are, I don't skip a beat: 14 months. But in my mind I'm debating whether or not I should mention "fostering".
It happened again yesterday at Taco Bell grabbing lunch after church. A friendly server asked about the girls and we started sharing parenting bits.
I never mentioned the nature of our relationship with these little ones and I always leave the conversation feeling slightly deceitful.
My wonderful, gracious friends share mommy woes and funny daily tidbits and they let me in on it.
But I question my club membership.
It feels so temporary and uncertain.
And kind of like I cheated.
I feel like I should confess when someone assumes I brought Sweetums & Peanut into this world.
I didn't give birth and have to put my body back together.
I haven't gone through the rigors of adoption....... yet.
We just got a call, drove to the office, scooped them up, and here we are: living life with a baby and a toddler that will probably return home in the near-ish future.
It's a very confusing feeling.
In time, my mind wanders to the bible and what it has to say about it.
There are many moments through the days where I feel like I'm a complete poser.
At the park when someone naturally assumes the girls mine and asks how far apart they are, I don't skip a beat: 14 months. But in my mind I'm debating whether or not I should mention "fostering".
It happened again yesterday at Taco Bell grabbing lunch after church. A friendly server asked about the girls and we started sharing parenting bits.
I never mentioned the nature of our relationship with these little ones and I always leave the conversation feeling slightly deceitful.
My wonderful, gracious friends share mommy woes and funny daily tidbits and they let me in on it.
But I question my club membership.
It feels so temporary and uncertain.
And kind of like I cheated.
I feel like I should confess when someone assumes I brought Sweetums & Peanut into this world.
I didn't give birth and have to put my body back together.
I haven't gone through the rigors of adoption....... yet.
We just got a call, drove to the office, scooped them up, and here we are: living life with a baby and a toddler that will probably return home in the near-ish future.
It's a very confusing feeling.
In time, my mind wanders to the bible and what it has to say about it.
Mark 9:37(NIV)
37 “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”
John 13:34
34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
Psalm 82:3-4
3 Defend the weak and the fatherless, uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed.
4 Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.
Of course there's no "how to be a foster parent 101" passage in the bible.
But reading how God feels about little ones, especially the ones who need some extra love, just brings me up from my unnecessary concerns.
Ultimately all children belong to God, on loan from Him to be raised by parents of His choosing.
For the time being, He has chosen us for these particular little ones.
I'm just concluding that my funny feelings aren't that important.
What is important is that we love them like our own, like Christ has loved us.
So when it comes time to join in on mommy banter and small talk, I should be comfy joining right in.
I am a mother.
When my children go to another, I'll still be a mother.
When we welcome home our "forever kids", I'll be that same mother.
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