I just got off the phone with my brother who called to wish me a Happy Birthday. He and his wife just became certified to be foster parents and among our catching up he related a story to me about some children that were placed with him briefly last week. The cops found the three children at 10:00 at night, walking the streets without any real clothes on with a father who was on drugs. The youngest, a 17-month old, wasn't even wearing a diaper - just wrapped in a blanket. The cops took the kids and CPS called my brother and his wife, who took them in, clothed them and fed them.
When he told me this story, my heart broke. You hear stories on the news and see it while driving in your car, but after talking with him this morning, it suddenly became real to me. While I live in this bubble of happiness and love, there are many, many children out there who never get to feel that. I complain about stupid, stupid things when there are children, LITTLE children, that are walking the streets at night without clothes or food. I am extremely humbled by this. I feel so shallow and embarrassed that I have lived around these situations and have done nothing about them. I do know that I am going to do what I can to change how I have been reacting to these situation.
I think good, honest Foster Parents are the most unselfish, caring, charitable and god-like people I know. I am thankful for my brother and his wife for doing this hard, heartbreaking thing. I am thankful for my brother and his sweet spirit - he truly is an example of Christ.
So on this day, I am thankful for people who see bad in the world and do their best to change it.
