Fostering

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” James 1:27 (NIV) I remember Chris, a divorced single mom who’d recently lost her IT job and was struggling to live for Jesus and make a living for her and her daughter. After helping her move to yet another apartment, we struck up a conversation and the topic of foster parenting came up. Had she ever considered becoming a foster parent? She responded with a resounding, “No way! I’m not great with kids!” We encouraged her to think some more about it, to which she just kind of shrugged. About three months later, we saw her again, and I sensed the difference God had been making. When asked if she had thought any more about fostering, she blurted out, “That’s all I can think about! I’m scheduled to start the foster parent training on Tuesday!” I remember her walking into our Native Church Fellowship with her first foster kids. She was hovering over them like a mama eagle, a smile beaming from ear to ear! She shared about how she looked at this as her ministry . . . and maybe the only godly parenting that these kids would ever experience. I just thought, “Wow, thank You, Lord!” Fostering isn’t for everyone, but it is an open door to positively impact some children who will look back on your time with them and remember what it was like to have someone in their life who actually cared about them, prayed for them, and lived out godliness as a life pattern for them. I tip my hat in appreciation to all the Chrises, Franks, Carols, Jacks, Melindas, Dougs, Ruths, Cathies, Jims, Lindas, Audreys, and everyone else who has taken on that challenge! Think about it. Check it out. Is that a door that God is inviting you to walk through? – Kene Jackson   Council Fire is a collaboration with Intertribal Life Ministries and Native Evangelical Fellowship of Canada. The Council Fire Daily Devotional Book Set is available on the Intertribal Life Ministries website. Learn more about Council Fire at councilfire365.org