An Extra Pair of Feet

There are another pair of little feet in the Powell household. Monday afternoon we welcomed our first foster placement. For the sake of this and future posts, I will just refer to this child as Z.

And, to be honest it has, thus far, been so much easier than I imagined. I had braced myself for lots of difficulty, but it has not been so bad. So much grace!

My biggest concern was sleeping. We have a two bedroom home and therefore Jude is sharing his room. However, the first night went without a hitch. We lay Z down first and waited for about 30 minutes to make sure sleep was deep.  Then, we told Jude it was bedtime and said, "You have to be quiet, Z is sleeping." He put his little finger to his lips and said, "Shhhh Z sleeping."  We then snuck into the room and Jude slipped into his bed. He went to sleep and we never heard a peep all night! Praise!

In the morning, Jude woke first. He began talking to his animals as he usually does.  I came in and said, "Shhh." His eyes got big as if he remembered something. He looked over at the crib, pointed to it, then put his finger to his lips and said, "Shhh Z sleeping."  We then quietly snuck out and let Z sleep a little while longer.

Nap time, on the other hand, didn't go quite so well today (our first try). I think I will play with it and figure it out after a few days.

I know foster children generally have a bad reputation, but Z has a sweet, mellow, and happy disposition. We have been very blessed by Z's presence already. This is a pleasant child.  I looked at Stephen the first morning and told him... this is not supposed to be this easy!

But, it is also difficult. Thinking of all that Z has been through, and has yet to go through, is tough. Figuring out childcare for my OB appointments is a little more difficult now - as are all errands - a small thing, but a thing nonetheless. And, just being real, I had a few teary moments the first evening mourning the loss of our family of three, realizing our routine and comfort has been "shaken up."

But, its worth  it. And, whatever difficulties lie beyond this "honeymoon phase" will be worth it. What a great opportunity to grow in love, patience, perseverance and, above all, Christlikeness. What an opportunity to pray for this child's salvation and that of Z's parents. We pray The Lord may use us to share the gospel with this family. We are thankful for the extra pair of feet the Lord has allowed us to care for. We are praying and hoping to see great things come from the time that Z gets to stay with us.