We watched the movie "Courageous" last night. Date night thanks to Redbox while we both worked :). But, all that to say, it was a fabulous movie. And really struck my heart. I wanted to share those thoughts in light of our foster care/adoption journey. It put a lot of things into perspective for me - one I needed after the stresses of this week. I haven't written anything about it. But this week was another week that I wouldn't want to repeat. Unfortunately, it may be something we repeat over and over. Thanks to some research and some God-placed contacts, we have more knowledge of how to handle the things we are walking through. But overwhelmed is not a big enough word to describe this week. Now, back to the movie. Here are some of my impressions. Hope they touch you as they did me.
It was stated that every child is a gift from God - and of course, I totally agree with this. Not being able to have my own children, and not even being able to be present at the births of the three I have, my children are GIFTS, no question of that. But in light of the gifts - we have to really focus on being thankful for the time that we have with our kids, not angry for the times that we missed. That is hard for me in a foster care situation, and even my adoptions. I am sad I don't know my kids birth stories, I'm sad I don't know when they walked or when they sat up. But rather than focusing on these things, I am going to choose to focus on the present and being thankful for each moment that I do have and the impact I can make TODAY.
It was stated that not having a father really affected one of the men in the movie. He said it had left scars that he hadn't been able to break for 37 years. That made me sad. How many children in the foster care system have neither father nor mother. How many are searching, wishing just for a family. I'm thankful for the husband I have - for the father he is to my children. I'm thankful that my children, Lord willing, will never have to grow up without a father, will never be the statistic of the kids that turn to drugs, alcohol, gangs, ect when they have no male figure present in their lives.
They also mentioned that what we teach our children and how we handle them today is the basis for how they will lead their families in the future. Wow, what a statement. That scares me. I know this to be true. I see in myself how much I do that my parents did whether for good or for bad. And I only have a few short years to impact my children and in actuality their children sometime in the future. This isn't a casual thing that we are doing. Parenting makes such an impact - for this life and for eternity. We don't have any eternal value in the things we do here - work, hobbies. But we have eternal value in the precious little lives of our children. To me, this was the challenge of the movie. Be courageous enough to buck the system of the world's values - show your kids Jesus. Give them things that are valuable enough that they can pass them on to their children. Model for them Christ so that when they are parents they then model Christ as well.
I would watch this movie again and again. I guess this is a plug for the movie. But so many truths packed into 2 short hours. And so many perspective changes that I saw I needed to change. I'm thankful for my kids - they are truly blessings sent from Heaven. Now may I go forward and parent them for the glory of the Almighty God!
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