The final step in our approval process was this afternoon. The director and her intern just drove away. Seems like we "passed".
"When can you take kids? I almost brought two with me today." M.queried jokingly, yet seriously.
The need is so great, and we desire to help, and we know the Lord is with us, and is leading us.....yet....now I'm nervous. Before it was all about filling out paperwork. Going through training. Passing the home assessment. Each step along the way I asked God to stop the process if it was not what HE wanted for our family. So now we are approved, and in waiting mode.
It all started with the first week at Camp Good News. This particular week they had almost all homeless kids. Two of the volunteer workers were not "regulars" and as I sat and talked with them I was informed of the inner city crisis in a new way. A tornado had swept through North MPLS in May. Some of the landlords decided to abandon the houses instead of fixing them. Many families became homeless or continued to live in the condemned homes. They didn't have anywhere to go.
The conversation with these ladies and the difficulties they were facing, seemed so foreign to me. We have a support system of family and friends that would be here in a heartbeat to help us in our time of need. Many people don't have that luxury.
Jump ahead a few weeks later. I stumbled upon a need on our church community website. It described an organization designed to help people in crisis with their kids. I hopped over to the website and watched the videos. I called Jason and described the program as I saw it online. He didn't hesitate and called the number I gave him.
At first M. said "NO." We are too far away. How would they get the kids to us? Jason told her that wouldn't be a problem because he's all over the map....his office is in the cities, he's always on the go....to him the cities are not that far. When she heard that, she was more on board with us. We were signed up online for the training.
I took forever to do the training. Mainly I wanted to NOT do it, but knew I had to. It's so hard to get stuff like that done. BUT...I'm thankful I did. I learned sooo much!!!
We then went to see the founder, Dave Anderson, speak the following week. So much of what he talked about had me nodding my head in agreement. Safe Families is a ministry of hospitality. A word lost in our culture to the Martha Stewart's and Better Homes and Gardens of this country. I've always known that hospitality as it's used in the Bible actually means "love of strangers". I never understood how that definition jived with what we Christians like to call "hospitality". (Oh...I have so much to SPEW FORTH about this....but I will hold off and maybe write separate blogposts!!!)
So....anyway....here we are today. It's no longer a what if? It's no longer...Are we going to pass? We are now a SAFE FAMILY!!! We are hoping to be a home where we can minister to parents in crisis....who need someone to help with their children, but have nowhere to turn. Please pray with us and for us!! We know the road will be difficult but we also know that we are called to serve.....God is with us! Amen!!
I will now write down my fears and put them in my Faith box!! God is FAITHful!! He is always with us, and we don't have to fear....O.K....I will...but I'll give it to God...AGAIN!!:)
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