We Were Called to Love

By: Elisabeth Richerson, A Connected Foster Care mother

We were called to love.
We were called to open our hearts.
We were called to be vulnerable.
We were called to open our home.
We were called to be the hands and feet.

For 92 days we have done just that. We have given pieces of our hearts to our sweet little lion. And although this is foster care, and nobody knows what the future holds except God, I wasn’t prepared for this.

People always say, “I couldn’t do what you do,” “You are so strong,” “You are super woman,” etc. and I’ve never understood what they really meant because in my eyes, I’m not doing that much different than they are by raising their children. But now I know this is what they are referring to.

Getting attached and then finding out last minute they are leaving.

We have loved him.
We have held him.
We have gone to appointment after appointment.
We have woke up hourly for feedings.
We have snuggled him.
We have changed him.
We have gotten him healthy and where he needs to be.

We have done our job, been where we were needed to be, and tonight his crib will be empty and his swing will be still. There won’t be cute coos or big, dimpled, gummy smiles.

And although the house won’t be any quieter, it is going to be missing something special.

But we will be okay and we will overcome this! Because our job in foster care is not done.

So as you are sitting there reading this, don’t think about how you couldn’t do this. Simply lift our sweet boy, his brother, his new foster family, and everyone in our lives who has been shaken by this part of the journey in prayers. Because we all need them!

I pray, sweet lion, that you go and grow with the love of the Lord, and you do big things! You will forever be loved and carry a piece of my heart with you wherever you may go! ❤️❤️

#thisisfostercare #youareloved #getattached #bethehandsandfeetofjesus