When I was a child growing up in southern Missouri, my brothers and I always anticipated the arrival of the Sears Christmas Book. It was a catalog filled with pictures of toys, games and all sorts of good stuff. We would look through it over and over, marveling at all the items. After having to make some really tough decisions, we would prepare our Christmas wish lists. We were limited to how many items we could put on that list and we soon learned to list our wishes in order of priority. But it was hard to do, as there was so much to choose from and everything looked so wonderful and exciting.
Those were the early days of “online shopping.” Of course, the orders were placed via mail rather than on a website or on social media. But the concept was basically the same.
At Missouri Baptist Children’s Home we are privileged to minister to hundreds of children, youth and families each day and many of those are asked to make a Christmas wish list. For many, the number one priority on their wish list is to go back home or to find a home that will become a forever family for them.
Our staff works tirelessly with families with the hope of reunification or to find the special forever family for those who cannot return home. Through the end of September, we were privileged to help facilitate 152 children reaching permanency. Approximately one-half of those were reunited with family, one-fourth were placed with relatives through guardianships and the remaining one-fourth were adopted into a forever home.
Let me tell you the story of a young boy who was placed in an adoptive home (name has been changed to protect his identity).
Liam was 9 years old when he entered the Treatment Family Care (TFC) program. His file read much like other children in the foster care system – aggressive behaviors (verbally and physically), stealing, hurting others, hurting himself, breaking things and hospitalization. He had been physically abused and neglected for much of his life. Liam’s TFC foster parents were skilled in working with children from very difficult experiences, but even they had a hard time with Liam. He would have tantrums on almost a daily basis that could last from 20 minutes to hours long. He would scream, cry, curse, break things and attack his foster parents (and anyone else who got in his way). The TFC parents prayed with him daily before school, would sit with him during his tantrums and be patient with him when he became extremely emotional.
When a pre-adoptive home was identified for Liam, there was not much hope because he already had two failed adoptions. However, Liam met these parents and went on visits with them. After several months, Liam was able to finally move in with them. We are pleased to say that Liam has officially been adopted by his forever family and no longer exhibits any of the behaviors he once did. We believe that if Liam had remained in foster care and not been adopted, he would have become another statistic. However, because he was adopted into a loving home, he was able to have a stable, permanent family he had deeply desired. Adoption allowed his past hurts and trauma to heal so that he could give and receive love.
This is our prayer for all the children we serve – that each one would experience hope, healing and restoration. To do this, we are dependent upon our God and His people who respond to His call in so many ways.
There are those who pray for us and those who support us financially, and we are encouraged by that. There are those who serve on staff, and we are so grateful for each one. There are those who serve as foster parents and provide a vital link in returning a child to his or her own home or getting them placed in an adoptive home.
This month we celebrate Advent and the first coming of Jesus. God’s gift to the world provided hope, healing and restoration for all mankind. It is a marvelous time of celebration, but not all experience the same joy that many of us do. There are way too many who deal with challenges and issues that are difficult for us to comprehend.
However, there is the hope that God gave us through His Son, Jesus, that should compel us to share it with others. That is what MBCH is all about – sharing that hope with those who so desperately need it.
As we consider that special gift we want to give to those we love and care about, let’s not neglect to give a special gift to our Lord. You might ask, “How do I do that or what gift could I possibly give Him?”
Jesus tells us in the Gospel of Matthew that as you serve the least of these you serve Him. So, you can do that by making a difference in the life of a child.
I would encourage you to pray about how God might use you to make a difference in the life of a child or family. For information on ways you might get involved, check our website at www.mbch.org or call us at 1-800-264-6224.
Together we are making a difference. To God be the glory. Merry Christmas.