Page 8 - Broward 0913

Basic HTML Version

A child’s first night in foster
care is a confusing and fearful
moment in time. The best word
I can use to describe that
moment is
vulnerable
. I wish
everyone could witness that
moment so they could grasp
both the depth of helplessness
and sorrow of a broken family, as
well as the power and comfort of
a Christian family. I know for
certain that if you witnessed
those first few moments, it
would change you forever.
That’s what happened to a
new foster family I talked to
recently. They told me about
their anxiety-filled car ride to
pick up their first foster child at a
shelter. Four-year old Sean was
waiting outside on the sidewalk,
dwarfed by a shelter worker. He
stood with a banana in one hand,
nervously shifting his feet, his
sneakers two sizes too big. When
they got home, they showed him
around the house and then to his
new room. After they prayed a
bed-time prayer, they tucked
him in for the night. Sean fell
asleep right away, while they
were up all night wondering,
praying, excited and hopeful.
They were now responsible for
the little boy sleeping in the next
room. At breakfast the next
morning, they asked Sean how
he slept. His face lit up as he
replied with a mixture of relief
and joy, “There are no monsters
here!”
I don’t know about you, but
in the home I grew up in,
monsters were infrequent guests.
And if they did have the guts to
show up in my closet, they had a
lot to fear because my dad was
just down the hall. When I was
afraid of the dark, all I had to do
was run to my parents’ room and
everything would be okay. The
same is true for my sons today.
When I feel the 3:00am tap on
my shoulder, see eyes like saucers
and feel a pounding heartbeat, I
know what to do. It’s time to
check the closets, say a prayer,
and lay my son back down in a
safe place.
Fear
at
night
comes
naturally to children, and they
need their parents help to know
how to defeat it. God knows this
about us. As a Father, he invites
us to come to his room at night
and find safety. Proverbs 3:24
says, “If you lie down, you will
not be afraid; when you lie down,
your sleep will be sweet.” The
psalmist, King David, often
mentions God helping him to
sleep or dwell in safety. In Psalm
4:8, David writes, “In peace I will
both lie down and sleep, for you
alone, O Lord, make me dwell in
safety.”
No one can beat up GOD!
No monster, or dragon, or bad
guy can defeat our Heavenly
Father – and that knowledge
makes us all feel safe as God’s
children.
But so many kids from
broken homes do not have this
source of comfort. There is no
parent down the hall to wake up.
No knowledge of a God they can
run to for safety. Nothing to do
LOCAL NEED
Good News - Broward Edition
8 September 2013
go to
NEXT PAGE
There Are No Monsters Here
- Doug Sauder -