We have been on a whirlwind tour lately, with a lot of changes in our family and tons of stories to tell. Since I don't know where to start, I guess I will be starting about last Thursday, since that was my last blog.
If you have read many of my posts, you know that Sara and I have been foster parents, and that because of our love of children, have endured a lot in order to help kids who cannot live with their parents. We had 3 siblings living with us for a while, and then the oldest moved in with a family member. With just the 2 younger kids left, we had some semblance of balance, with the boys being close in age and having similar interests, and for the most part the same with the younger girl and our Virginia.
There were problems that come with trying to assimilate, but overall, we were doing well. That is, until the state started telling us what to do, what not to do, etc. Read my older posts and get an idea of that story if you wish, but I won't drag it out here. Ultimately, Sara and I felt that God would not have us allowing children in our home and under our care to not be held accountable to our standards. We read our Bibles and pray together, our whole lives revolve around God and His Word. It is not possible to keep a family running as the Lord spells out for us if an atheistic organization that is diametrically opposed to our beliefs and world view is in our home making rules for us to live by.
After much prayer and consideration, Godly counsel and studying the Bible, we knew that we could no longer live this way. Our license to parent foster kids was up last week and we refused to go to the classes they demanded we take in order to keep working for the state. Funny, before I just typed that, I had not thought of myself as a state employee, and since I have seen that, I must admit that I could not in good conscience continue to work for anyone that opposed God and His ways. That is why we quit. We felt we could not follow God and also allow an ungodly presence or order in our home.
After informing those in charge that we would not be renewing our license, we were told that they would consider what to do with the kids currently in our care. We told them we would love to keep the kids and would even be OK with not getting paid anything to offset their expenses. But the day our license ran out, we got a call telling us that the kids were leaving, and right after school! Evidently, we are not considered team players anymore and it may be that God allowed us to cut this tie immediately, even though we were not sure what He would do. Our decision was to let God take care of how long they stayed, and we are now confident that we did the right thing.
I know some who read this are (or were, or will be) foster parents or adoptive parents. I would just leave this word of caution to those in this field. You can love kids, sacrifice for them, give of your home, your money, your time, and your family and many times make a difference for the rest of a child's life. This comes with the risk of losing what God instructs us to do in His Word. I am not saying you cannot be a foster parent, and if God is leading you to do that, then you should absolutely follow Him. What I am saying is to be prayerful and careful that your own children (your responsibility given by God) and marriage is the first priority. It is great to do ministry and to reach out, but our first commitment as Christians is to God, then our family, then others.
As a Christian man, I must not allow the world inside the walls of my home. The influences from secular education, promiscuity, false teachings, and denial of God is prevalent in government offices. Agreeing to forgo anything that God has instructed us to do as parents is sin. There is not other way to put it. God tells us to do things a certain way, and if we do not follow, we are in sin. It is far too easy to disregard the "little things" that someone else being in charge of your home means to your everyday life and your walk with the Lord. Don't be fooled, go in with your eyes open, and weigh everything in prayer and study it through in God's Word before making any decision.
So, we are back to just the 5 of us for now. We are back on track with our Bible reading, prayer life, and education. Our schedule is clearer, but not for much longer. The Lord is leading in powerful ways, so hang on to your hat. It is gonna be a bumpy ride. Just read the story I will post later and you will begin to catch the vision God has set before us.
Mark
