Waiting on the Lord

“’For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord.”—Isaiah 55:8 (NIV)

“Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.”—Proverbs 19:21 (ESV)

“As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in Him.”—Psalm 18:30 (NIV)

We thought our most difficult foster child was a girl who came to us with full-blown AIDS. Although she needed to take life-saving medicine three times a day, she refused to swallow it. She would fight us, keeping her mouth shut tight against the dispenser.

If we were somehow able to get her mouth open to squirt the medication down her throat, she would immediately vomit it right back up. Many times, we had to pay out of pocket to purchase more of this extremely expensive medication. We prayed that enough of it was getting into her system to treat her disease. Little did we know that this 18-month battle was but a training ground for our next placement.

Our next foster child was a baby boy who repeatedly would sleep for 10 minutes, then wake up and scream for 50 minutes. This continued for more than a year as we endured the endless shrieking. Working as a team, my husband and I would pass the agitated bundle back and forth every other hour.

These were by far the most physically and emotionally demanding months of our lives. While we were heartbroken to learn that the biological mom took drugs during her pregnancy, it helped us understand why the child was in such distress: He was painfully detoxing.

As the baby grew and became mobile, the screaming worsened. No one wanted to be around us because this child was a non-stop nightmare. Amid these trying circumstances, we had to trust God to get us through each minute.

We didn’t do everything perfectly, but it’s not about being perfect or living for the day when things will get easier. It’s about seeing the bigger picture of what could have happened to this child if he had stayed where he was. We had to move beyond just getting through each day and see the glimpses of hope and beauty in the redemptive work God had called us to.

We fell deeply in love with these children and adopted them both. Our daughter now swallows a single pill every morning on her own with no problems. And no one would ever believe our 5-year-old son screamed and acted out in the first few years of his life, because now he’s an angel who has the sweetest temperament!

Foster parenting requires long-term vision—the ability to see that your efforts and sacrifice are for the greater good. By giving neglected children nourishment and a loving environment, you help them grow in God’s light. It’s not always easy and it sometimes takes a long time to experience a breakthrough, but these kids are absolutely worth it.