Having a (age withheld)-year-old again

Over the last few weeks, we have welcomed a lovely addition to our family. Eric and I became foster parents to an absolutely adorable (age withheld)-year-old. I had never experienced being a foster parent before. It is a wonderful privilege, but it is also fraught with ups and downs.

Bedtime—ah, yes, bedtime. We go through our routine, and everyone is tucked into bed. All is quiet. Very quiet. Then suddenly, I hear a slight thud. I tiptoe into the room to make sure it’s not the child who has fallen out of bed, and I discover that all the toys have been quietly removed from the toy box to make room for a doll, who obviously wants to sleep there free from any toys. As I enter, I am told to be very quiet by the wide-awake seven-year-old, because I am not supposed to wake the sleeping doll.

Then there is the frequent changing of outfits. We sometimes change three or more times in one day. Sometimes she comes out looking like a princess; other times, it’s a dinosaur. Sometimes she wants to dress as if she is going to bed in the middle of the day.

Eating has been another challenge. She had lost weight before coming to live with us, and now we are working to reverse that trend. She really does try to eat, but she just isn’t always hungry. So there is the constant effort of encouraging her to take just one more bite—please, just one more—and then another, and another, until hopefully we get enough calories in to avoid further weight loss for one more meal.

But how do I describe how precious it is to hear her little voice singing throughout the house as she moves from one activity to another? Or to watch her overcome her fears and try something new?

She truly is a precious gift from God, and I pray that while we have her, we can model God’s love in a way she will never forget.