A New Year, A New Life, A New Strength

“But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.  They will soar high on wings like eagles.  They will run and not grow weary.  They will walk and not grow faint.”

Isaiah 40:13

It is 2017 – who can believe that?  Here we are in the second decade of the 21st century, quickly approaching the third decade!  As a child, I was sure that by this point we would be living on the moon or Saturn or at least flying around in Jetson cars! But guess what? Except for the modern technologies of computers, smart phones and the social media activities that come with them, life on earth is still pretty much the same.

We still live as families. We still eat together. We continue to go to work and to school.  And we share our lives with family, friends and neighbors. Each January, we continue to make new resolutions about the things we are going to do this year. How we will renew ourselves and our families.  How we will renew our lives with healthier lifestyles, getting back to our spiritual connections, and generally trying to BE better. I am not very good at keeping those resolutions going throughout the New Year, but I strive to be better and to do better.

This year, I would like to ask you to consider a less popular resolution. Think about not just changing your lives but those of others as well. Will you do it for a child? Could you help one child or perhaps two? How about siblings residing in foster care or a teen in a group home? They began this New Year with the same hopes as you did, save one thing: they probably did not believe that they can make their lives better. So much of their lives are completely out of their control with others making the decisions.

What will you give them?  Will you give them hope and a future? A safe place to be cared for, to feel love, to try and trust again and to be trusted? To be part of a family? Perhaps for a short time or perhaps for a lifetime?  It seems so simple. Just answer, “yes.” Think about opening your heart and home to children who need you perhaps more than anyone else has ever needed you.

Many people answer, “We cannot do this. We are not strong enough to handle all the issues and problems that come with these children. We are not special. We cannot do this thing you ask of us.”

But we respond, “Yes you can.”  You do not have to be special to foster or adopt children.  You do not have to be strong, like Hercules.  You just have to believe that you can do it.  You have to trust God. You have to be full of love. You have to care for our world and for the children who don’t have what you have, what your children have, what you most likely had as a child.  It is not too late for them.  It is never too late, if you answer, “yes”.

Will you care for the most vulnerable?

By Rosey Moreno-Jones, a contractor for Kids Central, Inc. The postings on this site are my own and do not necessarily represent the philosophy, strategies or opinions of Kids Central.

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