Little man little man

We just had the pleasure of hosting a seven year old foster boy for one week.  

wow

Some things you just can't get over.  Like there are SO MANY KIDS just like him.  He doesn't know where he will live tomorrow, never the less in a week or year.  He has been moved several times.  All different environments.  

What he does know:  He will never see his mom again because she died.  His dad won't get off drugs long enough to prove himself to the state so he can have his son back.  

Let's see

If I was seven.

Drugs are better than I am...  No one wants me.  I'm not worth it.  

How would you act?  If that's what you thought as truth in your brain.  How would you act?

Well this sweet little boy was still ABLE to RECEIVE love!!!  YAY!  Made our job easier.  So many of them won't receive it because they don't believe they are worth it or deserve it.  Well tragedy hadn't quite won over this one YET.

I knew I only had one week.  So I decided to focus on one or two basic things that I could drill into his head, and hopefully heart, in seven days.

So this is what happened.  Every day I would say, "Does Jesus love you when you are naughty?", and at first he always said no.  And I would say, "Yes, yes, he ALWAYS loves you."  And then I would ask if Jesus loved him when he was good.  And he would say yes.  Then I would ask him if Jesus loved him just as much when he was naughty as when he was good.  He always said no at first to that one too, but I would quickly tell him that Jesus loves him ALL THE TIME!  End of story.  Praying he would realize no that no matter where he lives, or what is happening, he can know that no matter what someone ALWAYS loves him.  He asked me if I told his foster mom that:)  lol  so cute.  He wanted her to know that even when he was naughty he was still lovable!  

He is one of SOOOO so so many like him.  Many more damaged by irresponsible adults in their lives.  What he doesn't realize is that WE were the lucky ones.  We got to be a part of his life for one week.  

A sweet friend of mine gave a speech about a year ago.  She based it on Isaiah 58.  But what stuck was that she said God isn't asking you to give what you don't yet have.  He's asking you to give what you already have.  Even if it's a penny, or 30 minutes, and then he takes care of the rest.  Or if you worry you don't have the extra grocery money to feed an extra mouth, isn't that God's responsibility to provide if you are following him?  Or to provide the extra time?  Gas money?

See, if we wait until we HAVE, it simply NEVER ever happens.  There is never the perfect time, amount of money, because for most of us the list never ends.