Cribs, Car Seat and Safety Gates ... Oh My!

The past 6 weeks has absolutely flown by. I feel I don't have much to say by way of progress. I reflect on the last several posts and am just in awe of even how much my own heart has opened up and gown in such a short window of time!

My cribs are set up and even dressed. One with yellow chevron stripes, the other with navy blue. Both have a soft blanket draped over the back rail. One has all 5 stuffed animals in it -- the ones that I bought thrifting a week and a half ago. I took the carseat out of the box to admire it. It is one of the coolest seats I have seen! It has been many years since I've encountered one and I am quite impressed at how far technology has come.

The safety gates were installed quite ingeniously, if I do say so myself. Unfortunately I didn't have a stud on both sides of the door frame, so I got creative with 1/4" pine wood paneling. I went to the local hardware store and they cut me my desired length and width pieces. After sanding down the boards, I painted them grey (the main color of the interior of my home). Then I anchored those boards across the studs at the level where the gates were to go. I proceeded to mount the gate anchors to the wall. I do swear that the hardest part of installing the gates was figuring out the instruction manual. Have you ever read one of those? I actually learned the most from youtube!

I don't feel anything super spectacular has happened this week aside from building cribs and mounting safety gates.

In all honesty, I feel I am in limbo ... waiting. I have no idea what kind of timeline I am looking at. I don't know what else I'll need. I do know that I need a "home" phone (meaning a phone that never leaves the house). I also may have to get locks for my kitchen cabinets since we keep cleaners under the sink. But maybe we will move those downstairs? I haven't really thought that far ahead. I know that I need day care. I have some places to begin, but since I don't have a timeline, I feel really awkward going "do you have openings for up to 2 children between 0-4 at a time that is in the future but unknown?? Can you hold those spots?" I will wait to know a bit more information before I go and do that. Unless I learn that that is what I am suppose to do?

This past weekend I sent a message to a fellow blogging Foster Mom. I have never met her and I really don't know much about her. But I do know that she has an amazing heart and a huge passion for children. She is probably the main inspiration behind me starting my own blog. She writes with such honesty and such emotion. Her page is the one that I share all over my facebook with captions such as "YES!" or "If only these words were mine" and "THIS. This right here." I read her posts and her stories and it gives me hope. It helps define my mission and purpose of going into this. She doesn't hide behind an image of "super human." She doesn't only share the good days. She doesn't just write about the bad either. She shares her heart in that moment. She writes about the journey. She writes about loving it and why she does it. She shares her concerns and her doubts and the wondering if she's cut out for it.

Again I quote my most recent favorite movie:

"Just the fact that you're even
asking yourself the question...

  
pretty much proves
you're qualified."

 To have the courage to ask the question. Not to others and not for others approval. But to ask yourself what is your greatest passion. To ask yourself what you can do to change the world. To ask yourself what you are doing now that advances and furthers God's kingdom here on earth. To have the courage to step up and step out and do something radical. To do something so outside the realm of what everyone else is doing. And not do it for anyone else, but for you and God. Because the majority of the people I know, myself included ... find so much strength in stepping outside of their comfort zone and doing something "for the least of them."

Not everyone is called to do Foster Care. But those who are need to step up and do it. Not everyone is called to go into a certain profession. Not everyone is called to do this or do that. But if God has called you to it, I encourage you to step outside of your comfort zone. I dare you to step into something far greater than you can ever imagine! For some of you .. you already are.

And what this looks like, it comes in so many shapes and sizes! I am in awe of the love and support and encouragement that I have received from my friends and family and even strangers. I am amazed at how God has been moving mountains to make this dream become a reality.

God is so much bigger than our fears and our doubts. He loves us so much more than we can possibly comprehend. I sit in surrender that my God loves me so much that He uses me, despite my brokenness, despite my imperfections, despite my flaws, he uses me to further His kingdom.

The church is so much bigger than just the four walls we worship in every Sunday. Don't get me wrong, Sunday (or Saturday) worship is very important too. But it much go beyond just an hour on Sundays. Let it pour out, overflow into every area of your life.

I am just one person. But I know who's I am and I know that I was created for a time such as this.


 "...Since God assured us, 'I'll never let you down, never walk off and leave you.'" Hebrews 13:5 (The Message)