"What do they call you?"

This is a question I get quite often from people curious about what our foster children call us.

This is a question I had for our caseworker when we started the whole process. What in the world do I call myself to them? I'm not their mommy and since the goal is to return them to their mom and dad, I didn't want to confuse them. Jami was absolutely too formal. And confusing and crazy when you think of it in real life. "Oh kids Mommy AND Jami loves you." No that does not work very well.

So, what do they call us?

In the end, they pretty much always call us Mommy and Daddy though I try to differentiate a bit and when talking specifically to one of our three littlest (our foster kiddos) and refer to myself as Momma or sometimes even Momma Jami (which feels kind of silly to me to be honest, but I do it nonetheless.)

Now with little sis joining the clan, I have been called Jami, Momma Jami, Ma Jami, Mom and Mommy by her. She has lived with her grandma nearly all of her life and always called her Mom.

The other day, while talking on the phone to her grandma, D walked up and she got very possessive (pointed at the phone) and said "MY mom. MY mom."

Later that week, while sitting at the dinner table, she looked at me and said "MY Jami..." It was very sweet! I can just see her processing. She now refers to our home as "my home" her room as "my room" and her bed as "my bed."

And, just the other day, she looked at me, patted my leg and said, "My Jami, My Mommy, My Jami, My Mommy."

It is so hard because I want to take her face in my hands and say "Yes baby. I am your mommy. I will always be your mommy" but I can't do that because it's not true. It's just hard to see a little girl who has gone through so much transition in 2 short years. She has done amazingly well. She seems to really be thriving here and yet I just wonder what is going on in her sweet little head. I want to say, all is well. This is your home forever. We are your family forever. You don't have to worry anymore. But I can't.

Fortunately for all our little foster babies one thing is certain. God is their God forever. He will never leave them nor will He forsake them. This is truth. This will never change. And HE is where they (and all of us) will find ultimate security and joy.

He is our Rock, our Safe place, our Refuge, and our Peace. In Him is life made complete. Seek Him with all of your hearts, my friends! Everything else will disappoint. Don't miss Him today.