This post originally appeared on Annery at Home in September 2011
The pace of our lives is certainly different than last fall.
With all these changes, it's hard to recognize the steps along the way that led to this until I stop and start to rewind our year. Last year at this time, my husband and I were waiting to start foster parent training. Over the last couple weeks I've really been thinking about my husband's response to foster parenting.
Foster parenting is something I have felt called to do for a long time. Last year, it became apparent that with our subfertility struggles, a baby of our own would not be in the picture for the year.....maybe some year.....God knows. Because we haven't been able to have our own babies these last 5 years that we've been open, we had a space in our lives that would accommodate caring for other children.
We received our first placement in July....a brand new baby straight from the hospital. My husband has never once told me I needed to get up with her because this was my idea. He has never once complained about having her in our lives. Raising this baby for as long as we have her is not just my "project", my husband has jumped in with both feet and not looked back.
This time has been such an amazing example of his generous spirit. I knew when I married him that he would be a good husband and father, only God knew how truly impressive he would show himself to be these last 7 years.
I am continually reminded through all the changes we've been through this year of the verse from Jeremiah...."for I know the plans I have for you....plans to prosper you, not to harm you. To give you hope and a future" If God had told me at the beginning of our lives together 7 years ago what was in store, I'm not sure I would have been able to walk through it without cringing and worrying about the next bad thing, I would have missed a lot of blessed moments.