The One Who Makes Plants Grow

“The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is near the brokenhearted; He saves those crushed in spirit.”—Psalm 34:17–18 (HCSB)

Our very first placement request was for two teenagers who were only 10 years younger than we were. We sought advice from a wise person who painted a not-so-pretty picture of the reality we would face if we took these teens in. We prayed about it and, despite the advice we received, we both felt God was telling us to not only say “yes” to foster care placement but that these teens, Jordan and Riley, needed to be adopted.

Because they had been in the system from a very young age, a lot of damage had been done by the time they came to our home. They were set in their ways, volatile, violent, and addicted to drugs. Some mornings, knowing how hard the day ahead was going to be, I didn’t even want to get out of bed.

Our newly adopted teenagers lived with us for almost two years and moved out as soon they turned 18. We have not heard from them since. At times, we feel like our fostering experience failed. On better days, we know that negative thinking is meaningless because the Lord led us to these teens and got us through those two years. We know adopting them wasn’t a mistake because, whether or not they’re physically with us, they know they have a forever family, one that will welcome them with love if they ever decide to come back. We still love them, pray for them, and tell our other kids they still have a big brother and sister.

Jordan and Riley taught us that no matter how hard we try, we can’t control the outcomes any more than we can make rain fall or a plant grow. It’s as true with a biological child as it is with a foster or adopted child. We’re called to do what God has laid on our hearts, and every day we have to trust that our kids are in God’s care and never out of His sight.