Sunday, December 23, 2012

Heroes or Followers of God?


I totally meant to share this at Thanksgiving, but better late than never! It's a news story about some friends of ours from church. Not only are they friends, they are role models. They are the very family that put the fostering seed in our minds, encouraged us to consider taking in stranger kids and then brought us a meal with our first placement.

Micah and Heather Maupin have hosted adoption discussion nights at their house. They've been open about their struggles and joys of their growing family (11 kids and 1 on the way!). They've helped countless families as they began their own foster and adoptive journeys. In short, they are great. But they aren't perfect.

I think it's important not to put people on pedestals. So many people have praised Dan and I for fostering. They've called us angels and heroes. But we are so far from that!! If only they knew the ways we failed our kids and each other in the process. If only they knew the struggles we've had just to love a handful of children who weren't ours. Micah and Heather constantly point people to God as their reason to adopt, their strength to raise 11 children and their comfort in the midst of their failures. It's important to them, and us, that people know we are simply following God with this, as many of YOU are following God's call to do so many wonderful things with your lives!!


"You never really know if you can do something until you actually try it. They add so much more to our lives than what we think we are going to give to them." - Micah

It's like I say with natural childbirth, I don't foster because I'm strong or good at it or because I'm some mama warrior. No, I do it because I think it's important and right to do so. It's really hard (read: annoying, painful, gross, dirty, stinky, tiring, boring and lonely) to foster, but that's not a reason NOT to foster.

I dreamed last week that we got a call for twin 17 month old girls. I woke up sad to realize it was only a dream. Still praying for the right kid(s) to join us for a while!!

0 comments:

Post a Comment