Deciding

For us, deciding to take steps toward becoming foster parents has been a process that spans years. We've prayed for God to fill our table. We've added "welcoming a child" to our list of life-goals. We have never cared whether that child was our own or not, but the picture I have painted in my mind of what foster parenting might look like for us is an idyllic scene with me as a stay at home mom while my husband works full time in the ministry.

Our current life couldn't look less like that and I worry that means it isn't the right time. But then, will it ever be? If I'm truthful, I worry about lots of things. Do we have time? Can we afford it? Can we sacrifice the home office? One child? Two? Babies? Toddlers? Teenagers? Boys or Girls? Both? School buses, car seats? Bunk beds? Child proofing? Feeding picky eaters? For heaven's sake, I don't think there are any questions I don't have.

The opportunity to finally decide presented itself by way of this little meme posted by the United Methodist Children's Home on Facebook. I opened my big mouth and commented that classes were not offered in Birmingham (Alabama). Well, in God's good humor, there are classes beginning this fall, mere minutes from my work. 

When you've been waiting so long for the door to open, it's a little difficult to not walk through it. And that's how we decided. It's almost a matter of stumbling upon the convergence of the right place and the right time with a daring dose of faith to push open the door for a peek inside.