The beginning of our Journey

I would have to saw that writing this takes me back to the time when I was between 10 and 15 years old. I was constantly with paper. My greatest writings always included a big family. My daydreams included running an orphanage. Fast forward, I'm not saying how many years, but I'm picking up my writing again. About 3 years ago Trietsch United Methodist Church had a Heart Gallery showing. This is a gallery of photos of children in North Texas who are in the foster care system and waiting for adoption. I guess this was my first real step in looking into the fostering program. Following the Heart Gallery, there was an informational meeting. This was what I would call "testing the water" or rather God planting the first step in my heart. Last winter Todd & I attended our first informational meeting together. North Texas has agencies that work with CPS to train, inform, find families, etc.. It was from that meeting we were given about 15 names of agencies that we could choose from. From there, I had narrowed the list down to 2. It was on a Thursday and I'd set my goal of making a decision on an agency by that Friday. I took C to gymastics and happened to sit next to a mom with a new baby. As she was talking on the phone I heard her say "cps". I couldn't help but ask her about the sweet baby. She said that she was a foster mom and the baby came to her a day old! Of course, I had to ask her which agency she used. It was one of the 2 I had on my short list. Covenant Kids. It wasn't her day to be at gymnastics, her son was doing a makeup class. This was my first huge sign of how God is working in my life. We completed our training and then the process slowed down as we moved to a house a mile down the road. At times I thought we wouldn't really continue this journey, but God has plans for us. One moment that truly sticks out in my mind is when I was leaving the house with M and she had struck every nerve in my body. I was thinking to myself, I can't even manage the kids I have, how am I suppose to be a foster mom. I got into the van and the radio was having a dial in show. The woman was sharing about what a difference her foster mom had made in her life. Ok, God, I am listening! There have many other instances of talking to people who have either foster/adopted/or been affected in some way by this. They are also the reason why we have stayed on course.