Last Snuggles, Last Smiles, Last Sighs

1 Samuel 1:27–28 (ESV) “For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.”

You are not bone of my bones, or flesh of my flesh, but you are heart of my heart. My prayer, as you go, is that your life will become one with God in the Spirit of Christ. I love you little boy, you are my son. You are loved no less than any other precious son we have.

We prayed for you. For two years, we thought of that first foster placement. Not knowing that God had you in mind all along. He’s used you to answer all my questions about being a foster father. Could I love someone else’s child like I love our biological children? Would I accept you as part of our household? Would I be able to graft you into the tree of our family? I’ve been reminded of 2 Corinthians…

2 Corinthians 1:20 (ESV) “For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.”

The answers to all my questions were yes. I think this is because my questions all find their foundation in God’s promises to us in Christ. Does God love us, born of men, as He would His own children? Absolutely Yes. Does He accept us as part of His household when He adopts us? Absolutely Yes. Is He able to graft us into His family, as blood brothers with Christ, so that there is no visible line between us and Him? Absolutely Yes. And so God’s spirit has moved in me with you, little boy. And today we enjoy our last snuggles, last smiles and last little sighs with the ache of letting you go safely to your new family.

Little boy, our Heavenly Father has used you to teach me about His heart. I pray He’s used me to teach you likewise. In creating us, God knew the risk. He knew His heart would be broken. In welcoming you, for all the hope we had of maybe not needing to say goodbye, we now know the similar aching affection I’m sure God has felt repeatedly. I know it’s not exactly the same. For our Lord’s grace has given us a glimpse not of pain, but of loving people through His eyes. Yet, I’m staggered by the heart of God, the depth of His never-ending love for all of us. I pray, little boy, that one day you would be able to celebrate and proclaim the same.

It’s to a good family and to a good place you go. A place of love and belonging. I believe that. We will lay you in your basket upon the waters, with hope and joy at having had you for a little while. We’ve prayed for you to come and we will pray for you daily as you drift on your way. We hold to the belief that we’ve at least changed your life by a degree. We hold to the Lord’s varied angle, that God’s slight alteration of your course will accumulate over your life to a very different destiny than you would have had. And for now, knowing that through God’s Will, by His Word and in His Way, we’ve held you, we can say goodbye and always know, you are most certainly loved.