Following the Call

If you were to look at our daily life before little man and compare it to today, you may think you were looking at two different families. Before he was placed in our home we had weekly play dates, trips to the park and were rarely home. For a few months we were able to keep that up. Things slowly changed.

Most of our days are spent at home. Going out is stressful. It's hard and it wears me down. I feel like people look and judge us so much when we are out. I've always had the easy kids. The go with the flow kids. Now I have "that kid". And having "that kid" means the other ones act out more too. They want the attention he gets. I'm not complaining (too much). It's not his fault. Every action made by him has a direct link to his life before us. I could write a whole post on why people shouldn't jump to conclusions when "that kid" enters the store but that's for another time.



Right now, I'm talking about something different. I want to tell you about how no matter how hard it gets. No matter how many times a week I cry in a bathroom. Or how many times I have to duck out early and head straight home. Or despite the fact that my hairdresser found my first gray hair. With all of these things, I have more joy now than ever.

Before little man and our foster care journey it always seemed like something was missing. Most of you will know the feeling I'm talking about. Does this sound familiar?:
You just want to be engaged and then it happens, he pops the question and you just NEED to be married. You know that that's what it will take to make all your dreams come true. And then you are married and you are so blissfully happy but you know that when you have a baby in the next few years life will be perfect and then baby comes and you've never been happier until you realize that she needs a sibling. And you need a house. And the power that drives you is always the "something is missing" the thought of "life will be perfect when..." But perfection never comes. 

Maybe your line-up doesn't look just like that but you catch my drift. When little man came along, the first thing I said to my husband is that I felt like our family was complete. That this was the place we were meant to be. That being said, in no way did I think we were done having children or that we wouldn't take more placements later. It is simply to say that we had finally reached a place of contentment. The desire for more no longer drove us. 

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It wasn't little man that completed us either. It was one simple fact. We followed a call. For a long time I didn't realize that feeling came directly from that act. I can tell you now, from experience that you will always have "something missing" until you respond to His calling in your life. I'm not telling you to go out now and start fostering and life will be grand (unless that's what God has called you to). God has a unique calling for each and every one of you. What I am saying is that you should be prayerful and always listening.

Life will not be easy simply because you are following His call on your life. I mean think about when you first got saved. Life didn't just get easy. Honestly, a lot of times it gets harder. You are tried and tested and often attacked. Somehow through it all you are blessed. For us, in a lot of ways it was the same thing. We have been through the ringer with this case. We have faced so many trials. We have watched as the enemy has tried to tear down this ministry but in the end God has always used it for good and blessed us along the way. On top of the blessings poured out on us, God has strengthened us through it.

2 Thessalonians 1:11 says "So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do." We have clung to that.

Life has changed. We have lost a lot of who we were in this journey and times have been hard. I'd be lying to say that it never hurts to say that we can't do certain things or go places with friends but I know those things will one day return. We have so much joy in the place that we are. So much fulfillment and finally a contentment that was never there before.

Have you received a call from the Lord? Are you living it out? Comment, tell us what He is doing with it! If you have not, I urge you to pray that God would reveal it too you. We are first called to a relationship with Him. Draw closer to Him through prayer. Listen always and be willing to follow. I promise, you will be blessed!

Linking up with RagstoStitches for Coffee Date. Head on over. http://ragstostitchesblog.com/coffee-date-friday-36/