I vividly remember that year. I hadn’t really noticed I used the phrase, “I would never…” on occasion. I mean, why would I notice? People said it all the time. Once in a while someone out there would say, with a knowing little smile on their face, and a lilt in their voice, “Never say never.” I would politely laugh with them, but secretly thought they were trying to be much too clever & cliché. Who were these people anyway? I didn’t ask their permission to tell me how to say things! I mean, I was an adult; a mature, married woman with 3 children. It was no big deal! Or so I thought…”
During that season in my life I was cleaning houses while my kids were in school so I could have some fun money. It was peaceful; and my clients usually had critters to love, which was an added bonus. Every Friday morning I would find myself cleaning the same master bath, at the same time, week after week. There was a radio in the bedroom so I listened to music while I worked. It was a station I couldn’t get reception to in my car or at my house. Yes, this was before iPods and Smartphones! There was a commercial that aired every single time I was there. EVERY TIME PEOPLE, for 6 continuous months. I can’t tell you what the man said anymore, I can just tell you it was an ad for Koinonia Foster Homes. All I can remember thinking was, you guessed it, “I would NEVER do foster care.”
It wasn’t that I was heartless or anything. As a matter of fact, I have quite a big heart! I had never known a family who fostered, I saw them in the news (great stories and sad stories), I was inspired by the success stories I heard from people who had grown up in the foster care system. I watched the reports of foster children who wanted to be adopted – I thought all of those kiddos wanted to be adopted, I was clueless. Great admiration and respect was what I felt for the families who did this extraordinary work! Other than these feelings I was not expecting foster care to touch my life in any way.
After ignoring those 6 months of commercials I walked in to my church one Sunday morning and a most unusual thing happened. Our Pastor announced we were having a special speaker that morning. It was unusual because this was a very “scheduled” man. He was a planner. We always knew months in advance when anyone else was speaking or visiting our church. He announced, “We have the folks from”……drum roll please….”.Koinonia Foster Homes.” WHAT?! WHAAAAAAAAAT????!!!!! The first thought I had was, “This is a total set-up! Are you kidding me right now?” I had never even heard of Koinonia Foster Homes before those commercials and now…..they were in my territory!
By the end of that service, I was in – hook, line and sinker. My heart was won. I felt the call. It wasn’t just emotion, and I knew it. The rest is history, and there’s a lot to tell. We’ll chat again about those stories. In the meantime, go ahead, say NEVER – it might lead you to the grandest adventure of your life.
~ A Koinonia Foster Parent’s Voice
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