So, today I met my foster love’s Mom & Dad. It was a complete accident, more like a total screw-up by the contracted company that holds his weekly visits in their office.
And we’ve encountered screw-ups there before—kinda ugly ones. So, Mom and Dad aren’t supposed to interact with me at all at drop off and pick up.
But, today, it happened. And it was a blessing. A gift. A real God moment that I know I needed. I know my foster love required it. And I’m sure Mom and Dad needed it, too.
When no one came out to get my foster love from me, and the start time of the visit had come and gone, I gathered my little guy and his bag out of the car and walked toward the door. While waiting on the phone for answers, the door of the building swung open. My foster love, while still in my arms, excitedly grinned ear-to-ear and reached for Mom. I smiled. Mom smiled. It was beautiful. All that fear and dread melted away with the smile and embrace from the little one I’ve come to love so much.
All I felt was love. Love for a woman who, a few weeks prior, confronted me in a less-than amicable manner at drop-off. Love for someone who can’t be a mother to her son right now. Love for someone who didn’t love me. I felt love because my foster love showed love. His love redeemed the love between his Mom and I. What a sacred and holy redemption it was! Heaven on earth. A glimpse of the upside-down kingdom we as Christians are called to live in and call others in too.
My foster love’s Mom and I proceeded to introduce ourselves. Then another beautiful thing happened. My foster love’s Mom thanked me for the pictures I’ve been intentional about sending, then proceeded to apologize to me about the previously mentioned confrontation just a few weeks ago. And I forgave her.
Right then and there, heaven met earth once again. And a relationship was redeemed. Another glimpse into God’s upside-down kingdom. A kingdom where the most unlikely of apologies ushers in forgiveness and love.
More great conversation happened between Mom and I. I was able to tell a small snippet of our “why we foster” story which includes my husband’s foster care story, and with tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat was able to witness a small piece of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I was able to explain that our purpose is to love and support this baby and his Mom and Dad. I was able to tell Mom that I will rejoice with her the day her baby is permanently back in her arms. A wave of peace washed over this Mom’s face. It was visible. I could see the fear and uncertainty in her eyes melt away. And heaven met earth once more. The upside-down kingdom witnessed once again on the concrete outside the visitation building. What an unlikely place. What an unbelievable time. What an unlikely outcome.
I’m not going to lie. I have dreaded interactions with my foster love’s Mom and Dad. My heart would race, and the butterflies in my stomach would flutter as my car approached the building. And when that door opened and out came Mom, I was mentally preparing my defense.
But today, Mom came in peace. And my foster love is all the better for it. He will benefit in so many ways from this positive interaction. Heaven on earth. Upside-down kingdom.
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). Today, I was humbled. Today, love came down. Today, the upside-down kingdom was revealed over and over again. Today, all things worked together for good. To Him be the Glory!
