Foster Care Renters

Yesterday was a day of service for our family.  We started the day by cleaning the church at 8:00AM.  I sure love it when our turn rolls around.  I am always surprised when we get asked if we brought our whole crew.  Of course we always do.  It is a great way to teach our kids the importance of service, and give them an opportunity to serve the Lord with those that love them most.  At one point, Shelby said, "I will always clean the boys' bathroom if they ask me."  Now that is an amazing girl!

The rest of the day was spent helping our renters pack up their belongings and put them on their Uhaul.  I don't even know where to begin with how hard it was.  It wasn't the strenuous amount of lifting and cleaning, or even the warmth felt on the beautiful day that made sweat bead on our bodies, it was the fact that I was seeing a friend move to another state, knowing that I probably would never see her again.  She was never just our renter, she was my friend.  We would text back and forth each day, mostly just saying hi and trying to set up times to just hang out.  We crafted together, had meals together, and loved to watch her son, Blake, and Shelby interact.  If there ever was a match made in heaven, it would be those two.  They were best friends from the very beginning.  It was an emotional day.

Steph called me over a few days ago to show me the gift that Blake had gotten Shelby for Valentine's Day: homemade flowers made of crepe paper and suckers all put together in a cute vase.  I was hefting boxes from the garage to the truck, so I wasn't able to see the presentation in person, but Steph and I both "Aaww'd" as she recounted how he held them out to her as he got down on one knee.  And, being the sweetheart that she is, Shelby shared each of her first-ever flowers with her siblings.

 Jamie, Karlee, and I went over at 9:00PM to help her clean the now-empty house.  There were six women cleaning, talking, laughing, and 'ooo-ing' and 'aaww-ing' over the 3-week old little baby.  I later found out that the baby was a foster child of Stephanie's mom.  This got a conversation about fostering, the abuse that some of her kids have endured, the drugs they have been hooked to at birth, and how hard it was to see them go.  Jamie and I both said that we didn't think we would be able to do it.  And, yet, that is how I feel watching Stephanie leave me.  I know it is a good thing that is happening to them, I knew that they weren't going to be our renters forever, I knew that my time would be short with them from day one, but, I'm heartbroken to see her go.  I only got a taste of what our friendship would have been.  I miss her terribly, already.

We have new renters moving in on Friday.  I met them on Friday and instantly knew that these would not be the same type of renters.  They would be ones that we would be kind to, would wave to, but would not be inviting over often.  It made me realize what I would miss with Stephanie even more.  I realize now that if this is the reaction I have with a friend, I can't imagine what it would be like with a child.  No matter if the situation was the best in the world for that child, I would have a hard time seeing them go.  It takes a special person to be able to foster.  As of this moment, I don't think I could be that special.