May the Lord provide the needs of others through us. One of the teachers at my daughters’ school used to add this to the end of each prayer before meals. Naturally, we ended up adding it to our family’s mealtime prayer, as well. Many times, after saying that, I’ve stopped to reflect and ask myself, “Am I truly providing those needs?”
My husband, Jordan, and I spent many years thinking about, praying, and researching becoming foster parents. It had been something that was on my heart long before I met him. When word got out that Roe V Wade was going to be overturned, we knew it was time. There would, hopefully, be many more babies born, and some would need extra care and support through the foster care system.
With that in mind, Jordan, my four daughters, and I started the process toward certification. In February of 2022 we completed it and the wait began. We were only comfortable with a child one year old or under, and knew there would likely be quite a wait. So, for the time being, respite care was our path.
Respite care can be many things. Sometimes the family or foster child needs a breather, sometimes mom and dad want a date night, sometimes someone has surgery and they need extra help during the recovery.
For our first respite case, we were told about a nine-month and one-year-old sibling pair needing a temporary home while a permanent placement was figured out. My first reason for hesitation was the timing. The upcoming weekend was incredibly busy, as I serve as a youth minister at my home parish and it was my biggest retreat of the year. I was also hesitant about taking in two children. But there is a running joke at our agency: if you ask me enough times, I’ll probably say yes. In these situations, my plan has become a simple prayer: “God, if you want it to happen, clear the way.” With that, the way was cleared.
I will never forget the moment I first saw them, when the case worker dropped them off that evening. I knew I was in trouble. They were two of the most beautiful children I have ever seen. I dare say, it was love at first sight. They had arrived well after bedtime, but I knew putting them to bed five minutes after they arrived at a scary new place was not a good idea. The boy was very protective of his little sister. When she cried, he would go get her something. When she needed to eat before we put her down to sleep, he wanted to bring her the bottle. Thankfully, it didn’t take long for them to become comfortable with us. I imagine the hoard of girls fawning over them helped.
This started our year of respite with them. They ended up staying with us for four days during that first visit, and then were placed with a wonderful couple. We continued taking them at least one weekend a month to allow for some time alone for the parents. When each parent had surgery, we took them for a week or two. We celebrated their birthdays. We had them over “just for fun.” They were a part of our family. It was also helpful for us to keep in contact with their foster parents, as we were both new to this. The support made a big difference.
After a year, we brought our (then) foster daughter Rylie home from the hospital. We decided that it might be best to transition out of regularly taking the sibling pair. One, because we would have to buy a Transit van. And two, we found that as time went on and they became more and more attached to their foster parents and the stability of the home, it was harder on them to separate.
We didn’t provide respite again until this past winter. We had recently finalized Rylie’s adoption, and “weren’t really in a place to take in any more children.” And God laughed.
We received the request for temporary placement of newborn twins, a boy and girl currently in the NICU. The circumstances of their mom’s pregnancy and birth were very similar to Rylie’s. I felt a tug to say yes. Would we all be able to fit into our van? Nope. Was it one of the busiest times for my job? Yup. But He cleared the way.
When I met these two, I had the same feeling as with our other two darlings: big trouble. The nights were exhausting. Carrying around two car seats while wrangling a toddler made me feel old. But boy, did they bring us such great joy! It was a blessing to be able to offer them a safe and loving home, if even just for a week. Add two more to our growing family! Now we wait eagerly for new pictures and updates.
Just as with our first two, it was difficult for our daughters to bond with the babies and then have them move on. They fall in love just as quickly as my husband and I do. But all of this has come with such important lessons. They have learned it’s important to care for those that can’t care for themselves. They have learned that where there are challenges and struggles, there is also great joy. And most importantly, they have learned how beautiful and precious every child is, no matter the circumstances they are born into.
Offering support through respite has been such a wonderful blessing to us. When the Lord asks to provide the needs of others through us, He gives us such an opportunity to grow closer to Him by serving His people. We are lucky to be able to serve. And each time we pray, “May the Lord provide the needs of others through us,” we now know just how beautifully He can answer that prayer.
Sue Wuorinen is a chapter leader and the Evangelization and Youth Coordinator at St Jude Parish in Grand Rapids, MI. When she’s not “herding cats” at work, she is at home with her husband, Jordan, and 5 daughters. Their family has been fostering for 4 years and were blessed to adopt their daughter, Rylie, from foster care in 2024.
