Gospel Fueled Co-parenting

It was a hot Florida autumn evening and the sprinkler was on full force, watering some new plants in a front lawn bed and by default, cooling off a one year old, three year old and eight year old.  They splashed and ran and giggled up a storm but then my daughter paused mid-twirl under a spurt of water.

"Mama, we should take a video of this and send it to her daddy.  I bet he'd love that."

Yes.  Yes he would, I thought. I bet it would fuel his evening.

Aren't those moments when you see that your kids get the gospel at work in foster care absolutely amazing?  I had one of those "thank you, Jesus" moments as I heard my daughter's words pour out and agreed with her.

It could be so simple to keep this beautiful moment on a Thursday evening all to ourselves and the privacy of our family.  It would be easy to think we're already doing enough, raising someone else's child, dealing with the poop, sleepless nights and effects of trauma.

Except.

Except Christ dealt with my mess and trauma without a moment's hesitation.  He reached out to me when I did not deserve it.  He daily does.

The light of the gospel levels the playing field between a church raised white woman in her privilege and an immigrant parent with a kiddo in foster care.  We both need Jesus.  

That statement might seem simplistic when you look at life details but in the weighing of "deserves or doesn't deserve" we stand eye to eye, both found wanting.  Both of us are extended love and grace by our heavenly Father.

We send the photos and the phone immediately lights up with a daddy's love for his daughter.

Google Translate assists us in telling bio daddy that his daughter loves him and Jesus does too.

"God bless you," flashes across the screen.

When we step into the trials and struggles of the people God puts into our lives, we're doing nothing noble.  We're simply following the example Christ gave.  It can be hard and it can be messy but what kind of sunshine and roses were you before Christ entered your mess?  I don't know about you, but  I've been hard and messy more times than not since knowing Christ. What a gift we are handed when we can respond the same way He responded to us.