Is there room in your home?

“Is there room in your home for me?” the voice on the other end of my phone asked. My former foster son, Mervin was calling from his girlfriend’s phone.   “I need a place to stay”.

Mervin came to live with us when he was 9 years old and stayed in our home for over a year.   Like many of our foster children, Mervin was like family.  I loved him as if he was one of my biological children, and my kids embraced him as their brother.   He had been in multiple homes before ours.  In one of the homes, the “foster father” threatened to cut off his fingers for getting food out of the pantry at night.  He had a lot of healing to do, and needed lots of love.   Our hearts were broken when he left but we prayed that his life would be happy and healthy.  Now, at age 18 he is crying out to be brought back into his former family- “God sets the lonely into families,” (Psalm 68:8) and in our case, He set Mervin with us twice. 

During this busy time of preparation for Christmas,  I am reminded of the journey of our precious Savior Jesus Christ.  His humble beginnings as a guest in the inn set an example for each of us.  The innkeeper made room~  He opened the door for what God had planned and blessings overflowed.

As my husband Jim and I have opened our doors to God’s knock, we have found that Mervin is a blessing.  While he has described his painful life journey, his feelings of loneliness and isolation, and need to “belong”  we are blessed by being allowed to be the hands and feet of Jesus for him.  The depth of reward that we receive is immeasurable as we watch him beginning to thrive and heal.  It is a privilege and honor to be called his family.  Please consider what plan God might have for you – there are children knocking.

~Krista Davis, Executive Director Safe Families for Children Central Indiana