Do "wub!"

One of the things I have been working on in my life for the past few years (I'm clearly a slow learner!) is to see people like Jesus sees them, and to love people like Jesus loves them. He is really teaching me a lot with foster care. Not with the kids. We have only had 2 so far, but both have climbed right into my heart with no looking back. They are super easy to love!! I'm learning to not be judgmental and to try to see the parents like Jesus does.

I've been praying for our little dude's mom every day. I can't imagine how sad she is to not have this awesome guy with her. At our visit this week, I left just heartbroken for her. She loves him. I know it, but "feels hopeless" (quote from the case worker). I am praying that someone (us, if possible) can show her that there IS hope, but it's only found in Jesus! Unless she finds that Hope, she will continue to be hopeless, even if she gets this sweet boy back.

People keep saying that we are such a blessing to him. Maybe that's true, but he is more of a blessing to us. We are LOVING having him here. I talked before about how while it will be super hard to let our foster kids go (and it was - we cried and grieved when Little Miss left, then pulled ourselves up by our bootstraps and asked for another), it is so very worth it to get to have them in our lives. He fits right in around here and the kids love him and are so good to help care for him.

Our kids' hearts are growing and they are also learning to love like Jesus loves. We aren't in this gig to get something out of it and that is against the norm in today's world.  Our pastor wrote a great book called, "Do Love" and he has been teaching/leading us in learning how to truly love for the last year or so. This is a chance for us, as a family, to do love. And we are loving it.

While you hear complaints all the time about "the system" - I've been known to complain myself a time or ten - we aren't doing this for the system. We are doing this for the kids...and for the moms who need to be loved so they will know how to love in return. Every time you think of us, will you pray not only for little man, but also for his mom? When you see people struggling, will you try to see them like Jesus does instead of judging? Unless we have "walked a mile in their shoes," do we really know enough to pass judgement? When we got this little man, I learned the facts and started being very judgmental to his momma, but God has changed that. I so wanted to hug her at our visit last week but was afraid I would freak her out...or get tased. Instead I am showering her with grace and kindness at each visit and hoping she will begin to let her guard down.

And to wrap up my ramblings and end on a cute note...we are teaching Little Dude sign language. He picks it up so fast and copies everything we teach him. Here he is signing "love" - this is my favorite.This is why we do it.

We "wub" because He first "wubbed" us. - I John 4:19 {2 year old emphasis mine}