thinking of little sis

This coming Tuesday our family dynamic changes. We will go from having 5 kids to 6 kids. Our foster son's sister, lovingly called "little sis" or "L" here on the ole' blog is coming to live with us. We have cared for her 3 different times for a few days to a week at a time and we love her dearly. She is a joyful, spunky little sweetheart but I have concerns leading up to this big change as well.

For one, transitions are just plain challenging. Adding one more child to the bunch is always difficult at first. She is two years old. She is not potty trained. She has crazy, awesome hair, but it needs to be worked with. Getting out the door will take longer then before.

Secondly and more importantly, little sis has lived with her grandma for the majority of her life. They share an extremely close bond. Grandma doesn't know how she is going to live without L and yet because of her own health concerns, she knows she is not capable of being L's primary caregiver anymore. Sacrificial love.

L was with us this weekend. I took her home on Tuesday and as we turned onto her street, she became increasingly excited. "My house! My house!" As we turned into her drive, Grandma was sitting on the porch and L couldn't contain her excitement anymore. With absolute delight and glee, she squealed, "MOM!! My mom! My mom..." I stopped the car and she couldn't get out fast enough. As soon as the car door opened, she jumped out squealing "Mom!!!" and ran into Grandma's open arms! "I missed you!" she told her Grandma.

With tears in her eyes, her grandma looked at me and said, "I don't know how I'm going to do this."

Oh, I feel for her and I feel for sweet little L. She is so happy with us, she really is but she knows where home is. She knows her "mom." And her little life is going to be changing, again. Yes, we have her brothers. Yes, she feels safe and loved here. Yes, her and I already share a bond but she is only two years old and I just wonder how this is all going to affect her. She's fine for a week with us but what about when we don't bring her back home?

I don't know the answers. I do know that God has ordained that for this time, she is to be in our family. I am excited to have her and yet in the same breath, I am overwhelmed by it all.

Will you pray for us during this transition time and by us I mean little L, her grandma, and our entire clan.

The Lord is holding us all in His ever capable hands, of this I am sure. And that is why we can walk forward, bold and confident - because we are trusting in Him! Amen.

"For God has said, I will never fail you. I will never abandon you. So we can say with confidence, the Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear." Heb. 13:5-6

There are hundreds of thousands of kids in the U.S. foster care system. Many of them, like our little L transition from foster home to foster home. Friends, there are absolutely not enough safe and loving foster homes for these children.

So I just have to ask, is there room in your home for a child in need?