Foster Care Fridays: They're Worth It

I saw this video from the Dropping Anchors Blog this past Saturday morning and immediately shared it with David and with a friend who is walking alongside this with us.  The statistics in this video are all things I've heard, they are all things we've read about and learned about over this past year of preparing for foster care.  And a lot of them are heartbreaking.  Which is one of the reasons I want to try to bring awareness of some of these statistics to people.  But I had never heard the song in this video before and to me it is beautiful and it is haunting.  I've since bought the song from iTunes and I've listened to it a lot this week--and every time it brings me to tears.  It wasn't written for foster care (although the story behind this song is beautiful) but I feel like it fits this journey well.



As I listen to the chorus, it echos so much of what my heart is saying as we enter into this crazy journey.  Because I am well aware that this is going to be really really hard.  It's going to break my heart in ways I've never imagined possible.  It's going to put me face to face with a lot of evil, a lot of pain, a lot frustration.  The kids who come into our home and family are going to be hurting in ways that I can't even fathom in my almost 30 years of life.  And they're going to act out and be difficult and have a hard time adjusting.  But oh my word they are so worth it.  They are worth every tear I'm going to cry in this frustrating process.  They are worth me facing every fear that this is bringing  me--fear that we won't be enough, fear that they will completely turn our world upside down, fear that it'll take a long time for them to heal, fear that we and they will get attached only for them to leave us.  They are worth all I can give them.  And I also know that all I can give them really may not be enough.  Because they are broken and I am broken.  The truth of it all is that I am not enough to save them from this pain and this hurt.  There's only One who is and I'm grateful I know Him and will have an opportunity to teach them about Him.  And I know that there's a chance that us loving them and providing them with stability will not be enough to heal the hurts in their lives, but doing nothing to help them definitely won't.  So we're jumping in.  To the pain and the fear and the joy.  And trusting that if we bring their hurts and our hurts to the Healer that He will make something beautiful out of this craziness.  Because as this video states, the bottom line is that Children belong in families.  So we want to offer up our family for children who need one--whether that's temporary or permanent.

I wanted to share the lyrics for the whole song here as well.  I focused on the chorus, but every part of this song speaks to me as we enter this next stage, so I wanted to share it in it's entirety.  

All of Me by Matt Hammitt
 Afraid to love
Something that could break
Could I move on 
If you were torn away
And I'm so close 
To what I can't control
I can't give you half my heart
And pray He makes you whole

You're gonna have all of me
You're gonna have all of me
'Cause you're worth every falling tear
You're worth facing any fear
You're gonna know all my love
Even if it's not enough
Enough to mend our broken hearts
But giving you all of me 
Is where I'll start

I won't let sadness 
Steal you from my arms
I won't let pain keep you from my heart
I'll trade the fear of all that I could lose 
For every moment I'll share with you

You're gonna have all of me
You're gonna have all of me
'Cause you're worth every falling tear
You're worth facing any fear
You're gonna know all my love
Even if it's not enough
Enough to mend our broken hearts
But giving you all of me 
Is where I'll start

Heaven brought you to this moment
It's too wonderful to speak
You're worth all of me 
You're worth all of me
So let me recklessly love you
Even if I bleed
You're worth all of me 
You're worth all of me