My dear friends... My dear little foster niece, Alexis, is being turned over to her biological father. He has gone through all the legal actions to gain sole custody of her. Tomorrow, Susan and Jeff will have to watch her leave their home. They have had her for 19 months. The Lord is giving them strength in this VERY difficult time. He (God) has given Susan many promises from His Word, which I am very thankful for. My boys are having a hard time understanding how come she has to leave. Please pray that we will have the wisdom for this time. I am so grateful to Susan and Jeff for giving me the opportunity to love another child like my own. Alexis is a true Joy! As you think about her, please pray for her future and the seeds that have been planted into her heart. We pray she will take Jesus to her family.
The Lord has been reminding me of the song titled, "Blessed be Your Name". Here are the lyrics:
Blessed be your name
In the land that is plentiful
Where the streams of abundance flow
Blessed be your nameBlessed be your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed be your name
Every blessing you pour out,I turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, LordStill I will say...
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be your glorious name
Blessed be your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's all as it should be
Blessed be your name
Blessed be your name
On the road marked with suffering
Oh, There's pain in the offering
Blessed be your name
Every blessing you pour out,I turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, LordStill I will say...
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be your glorious name
You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will STILL choose to say
Blessed be your name
This is what I am saying today...BLESSED BE YOUR NAME!
With tears and sobs, I bring you this post,
Marty
26 comments:
Marty, we are praying for your family today!!! I can't imagine what this feels like but we are certainly praying for you all!!
Marty, we're praying too!! What a hard thing to have to do!
My heart is breaking for your family today. Our dear friends went through this last year with their little Ethan, whom they had had for 2 years. They have adopted his siblings, but his mom fought hard to get him back. Even though he was only 4, we prayed that he may say something that would bring Jesus into their lives. One never knows...
Thank you for posting the words to the song...it is my all-time favorite. How appropriate on a day like today. We are praying for peace and healing, and for little Alexis, as she makes this transition.
Oh Marty, what a loss! I will add your family and Alexis to my prayer list.
Oh, dear God! What a heartbreak for Susan & Jeff (and all of you). They've poured so many wonderful things into her life- most of all, the knowledge of Christ. We'll definitely be praying for and 'grieving' with you all. May God's peace be truly that which passes understanding...
Marty, I completely understand what you are going through, but know full well that this doesn't lessen your pain. My sister-in-law & brother-in-law have had two little boys for the past 4 1/2 years (ages 4 1/2 & 6) and were in the midst of adopting them, but the biological Father just recently entered the scene and took them away from the only parents that they have ever known. It is a horrible situation to have unfold right before your eyes and our hearts have been ripped open. It has been very hard to explain to our little girl, but our hearts go out even more to the two little boys and now to your little Alexis. No one ever understands why these type of things happen, but please know that you are in our prayers and especially little Alexis & your sister and family.
Much Love, Valerie
When I was about 5yrs old my parents took in a little foster girl named Lisa. We had her for a year and a half before she was given back to her birth mother. I'll never forget the day the social worker picked her up. My parents wanted to adopt her so badly, and it is still hard to understand why things turned out as they did. You will be in our prayers and I will have my parents pray as they can understand the pain Susan and Jeff are experiencing right now.
Martha...so sorry to hear of this. I can't even imagine what they are going through. We will be praying for them all.
My heart aches for all of you. I will be praying for the whole family and for dear Alexis.
Dearest Marty,
When you hurt, I hurt too. I'm so sorry for this pain that your precious family has to feel. The song lyrics are some of my favorites, too. Just listened to them yesterday. I always ask myself if I would really have the strength to believe those words if the "chips were down", so to speak. Glad to know that Susan is finding that sustaining grace in her time of need.
We're praying.....
Love you....
Marty, I can hardly type as I am crying so much. The lyrics of that song just touched me - a favorite of mine - but it had never hit me so hard as right now. I have been mad, sad, confused and I don't know what all since I heard the news. I am sure Jeff n Susan are feeling it so much more than I.
I loved your post in honor of Alexis. She has been a little blessing to our family. I know God has a plan and purpose for her life. Jeff n Susan and all of y'all have shown her so much love but even more, they have given her access to the most important kind of love there is: Jesus.
I have been praying for all of them until I have run out of words to say. I will continue to lift them up as well as all of you. Love you bunches! Esther
Dear Marty~I'm so sorry for your entire family. Please pass on to Jeff and Susan the assurance of our prayers for them and Alexis. I love that song, too, but it takes on such a different level of meaning when facing such a time of darkness. May God's light shine all the brighter even when the night is pitch black...
Saw your father-in-law yesterday at our church. Enjoyed hearing him speak.
Marty, I'm sooo sorry! We've been through a similar situation. I'm so sorry for the heartache you all are having to bear. I will definitely be praying for you all and that God will somehow help Alexis to always have the memories of the things she was taught about God. She is darling!
I heard that you came too, and I am so disappointed that we didn't get to see you. We went home bc we very rarely get to spend Sunday lunch and afternoon as a family bc of Phillip working...sorry we missed you too.....
Please know that you all are in my prayers. I'm so sorry for this difficulty. I can't imagine the loss. I pray the grace of our Heavenly Father to be yours in abundance today.
Thanks so much for loving our little girl. She will always be "ours"...which means number four of our five! We are taking comfort in knowing she is a phone call away and her dad is open to any communication. We don't feel cut off from her entirely. God is continuing to give great strengh. It's the evening time that bothers me most and I have to busy myself with other things so I don't think about her not being with us and/or how she is doing settling down at night. That is the time when she would usually open up her heart to me and share her emotions.
However, God is still the same yesterday, today, and forever...why should I worry or fret! He (God) used to have me be His hands in caring for her...now I "get" to sit back and let him do "all" the work! :) This is easy to say because it's daylight out right now.
Thanks for ALL your prayers and all our friends who care soooo much about us and our sweet little girl who for this life time may live apart from us...but not for eternity -- that is our prayer!
Thankful for the time your whole family was able to invest into this child...and that the father is open to contact...that's a real blessing! Will pray that God will continue to redeem this situation. Love Ya'll!
I have been so sad about this situation since first hearing about it. I know God has a plan and it is so good to hear of Susan and Jeff's promises they are claiming. We are praying for you all!!
Dear Marty ~
Your family is in our prayers. I'm very sorry for this difficult time.
Love,
Karon
Oh, Marty! My heart goes out to Susan, Jeff, and your whole family! I know it's hard!! My Dear Isaac's parents have fostered children for quite a few years, and while they've adopted two of them, they've had to see several go from their home! I, too, trust that the seeds that have been faithfully sown will take root in her little heart!! May God bless you all!!!
Wow, Marty....what an oupouring of love...Aren't friends the greatest? I too feel so bad for Susan. It takes an amazing love to open your home to a child and love them with everything in you, knowing that there is a possibility of that child being taken away some day. It amazes me at the unselfishness in this. I will be thinking of you all, and knowing that God is with you every step of the way.
I saw your little niece this weekend, she is getting so big. Most likely will post a few pics. The doctor measured her and said it couldn't be right because it is off the charts. She is 27 inches long. Guess she is going to take after her daddy. :-)
Okay, this is a sad post to do this on...but, darling, you have been tagged! Which means you have to write seven random things about yourself:-D I lvoe you!!1
your lil sis!
Marty, We have been PRAYING HARD for Jeff, Susan, and Alexis during this hard time. I was soooo glad that your Mom said that Alexis got to call Susan from her Daddy's home and she seems happy. I cannot imagine how HARD this has been on Jeff, Susan, and all of your family. Alexis is such a sweet little girl.
Thanks for your sweet comments on our baby #4. We're soooo excited. If I can just get over my nausea so I can get something done, I'll feel better...but until then my house looks like a hurricane went straight through it. =D
Lots of love,
Heather =)
Marty,
This I copied from one of the earlier comments. It is exactly what I was thinking...
"It takes an amazing love to open your home to a child and love them with everything in you, knowing that there is a possibility of that child being taken away some day."
God bless each of you as you face this difficult time.
You all will be in our prayers.
Oh Marty, how very sad. As my heart breaks for Susan and Jeff, it breaks even more for Alexis. How little ones can live and make a home for so many months and then be ripped away, is so unfair. We will be praying.
Post a Comment