Heather Norman Smith
  • Home
  • About
  • Books
    • Fiction
    • Nonfiction
  • Blog
  • Music
    • Original Songs
    • More Music
  • Speaking
Picture

Part of the Family

6/6/2019

7 Comments

 
Just over a week. That's how long we've been a family of six. For the first three days or so, it was hard to grasp. It's an understandably difficult concept to go from being the parent of three children on Monday- picking out three sets of clothes, making three snacks at a time, tucking three kids into bed at night- to being the parent of four kids on Tuesday. But very quickly it became "right". It wasn't even our new normal. It was just the normal we were always supposed to be. Our "finally" normal.

Even as I express how relatively easy this foster care transition has been, and how right it feels, I fully understand that at any moment things could change. We're only responsible for this two-year-old boy for as long as someone else will let us be. Somewhere between one more day and forever, that's all we know. But for now, he's part of the family.

So, how does a stranger become family so quickly. Is it because he's adorable? No, though he is. Is it because he's a "good" baby? No, though he is. Is it because his laughter makes all our hearts melt? No, though it does. My children have taken him in as a brother, and my husband and I have taken him in as a son, for only one reason: GOD. It’s supernatural. Beyond our capabilities. God makes that kind of thing possible. Not us. Psalms 68:6a says, "God setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains:"

The day before "A" came to us, my eight-year-old daughter said, on the ride home from the beach, "I feel like we're missing somebody." All of us were there in the van, including our two dogs. She wasn't talking about Grandma and Grandpa that we left behind at the beach. She was talking about "A", though we didn't yet know who he was. And I knew exactly how she felt. God had been stirring anticipation in our hearts for many months.

On our refrigerator, we have our names linked together, written out in magnetic Scrabble tiles. Just as easy as it is to add our foster son's name to our five, that's how easy it has seemed to make him one of us. He slipped right in like the letters of his name on the board. And it's a perfect analogy of what God has done for us.
Picture
In Romans 11, Paul uses the example of an olive tree. The natural branches he speaks of were the nation of Israel, God's chosen people. But we- believers who aren’t descendants of Abraham- being the wild branches, have been grafted into the tree. He added us into the family. He has made us a part of Himself.

Galatians 4:4-5 says it plainly. "But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons."

How can someone become part of a family so quickly? God. With our foster son, it’s God’s love in our hearts and a divine plan that makes it possible. For the seeking soul, it’s a measure of faith and God’s grace by which they can instantly be made His child.
Picture
7 Comments
Michelle Nebel link
6/7/2019 06:41:45 am

Oh, what a beautiful story! I’m so glad that the transition is going well for your family. Praise God—who put the dream to foster in your hearts and nurtured that space inside you all that whispered, “someone’s missing.” I know that He who began this good work in you will be faithful to complete it! (Whatever “complete” may be; as you said, somewhere between tomorrow and forever.)

Reply
Heather Smith
6/7/2019 10:22:45 am

Thank you, Michelle! And yes- praise God!

Reply
Lindsay Speaks
6/7/2019 08:13:02 am

In tears as I read this! What a testimony of God's love and grace being displayed through your family. Praying for your family, including "A!"

Reply
Heather Smith
6/7/2019 10:20:48 am

Thank you, Lindsay! We appreciate your prayers.

Reply
Diane Virginia link
6/7/2019 09:43:04 am

Heather this is beautiful!

Reply
Heather Smith
6/7/2019 10:21:36 am

Thanks for reading, Diane!

Reply
Jarm Del Boccio link
6/8/2019 01:45:41 am

So happy for you, Heather! It’s wonderful to see how your entire family is embracing him. ☺️

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    About the Blog

    Thank you for visiting my blog. I share devotional articles and musings about life, parenting, and the writing journey, as well as important news about my books. I hope you find something of interest here!

    #carselfie
    Heather Norman Smith

    Click below to sign up for my email newsletter, which includes links to my latest blog posts. Thank you!
    Newsletter Sign-up

    Categories

    All
    Bible Study
    Books
    Christmas
    Devotions
    Encouragement
    Foster Care
    Ministry
    My Life
    Parenting
    Prayer
    Spiritual Growth
    Theology
    Writing


    Archives

    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    July 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    November 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    March 2020
    December 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    March 2016
    January 2016
    May 2014
    April 2014
    July 2013
    June 2013

    Southern Writers Suite T button

    RSS Feed

Copyright © 2022
  • Home
  • About
  • Books
    • Fiction
    • Nonfiction
  • Blog
  • Music
    • Original Songs
    • More Music
  • Speaking