3 years ago today. We didn’t know you yet, but God did. He wouldn’t let us walk away from fostercare - because you weren’t with us yet. Two months and one day after this photo was taken, we had a conversation with your first family that would change all of our lives.
This morning I was in Psalm 10. Pretty sure the psalmist wasn’t talking about foster care, but his honest cry resonated so deeply.
“Why, O Lord, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?”
This chapter goes on to lament the seeming injustice in the world, when things don’t work the way it feels to us they should, when our temporal view of the situation leads us to believe that the whole world is upside down and the ordered universe where God is in control feels like a fairy tale. Ever been there? Maybe you’re there right now?
After crying out his frustration, the psalmist’s tone shifts in verse 14. He reminds himself of the truth of the God he can trust, even when his ‘why’ goes unanswered.
“But you do see... you have been the helper of the fatherless... the Lord is king forever and ever... you hear... you will incline your ear to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed.”
I’ve had so many foster care conversations lately- with friends in the thick of the fight when it seems like the children they love are being wronged and forgotten, with friends who are weary of the long road of unseen and unfathomable twists and turns that don’t make sense, with friends wrestling with where God is admist the injustice, with friends in mourning over those they have loved and let go, with friends just beginning down this murky path.
It’s hard. I want to assure them that everything will turn out ok, but I can’t.
What we must cling to is that, even when our whys go unanswered, even when it seems like injustice and wickedness is winning, even when it feels like suffering was for nothing... He sees. He truly is the helper of the fatherless. He truly is King forever.
He is worthy of our trust. Not because of happy endings- but because of Who He is.
He is safe to trust. Cry out to Him- in all the honest ugliness of your struggle. And then remind yourself of the Truth.