An Unexpected Opportunity

 “An Unexpected Opportunity”

By Kaitlynn Burley

In February of 2019, my mom received a phone call that changed our lives. The voice on the other end of the line indicated that children from our bus ministry had been taken from their mother due to her drug habits. At the time of the call, the children were in foster care and the agency was looking for a more stable situation. The first step for the agency is to interview members of the child’s own family to see if there is someone available to provide a familiar environment, and because no family was available, the agency reached for names who could be considered “next of kin.” Since we had known the children for a long period of time, our name was given by the children’s grandmother.

The decision to give three children a home was not one that was made lightly. Our house was already full with three of us kids at home full-time and our older brother home when he had breaks from college. Both of our parents worked full-time and we were all very busy with our church, Christian day school, and extracurricular activities. After talking together as a family and asking God for guidance,we decided that the greatest need the children had was for love and stability. We knew God would help us provide that, and we consented to take into temporary custody, *Amy (7), *Andrew (6), *Kyla (4).  

I had very mixed feelings about this situation. I felt awful knowing that these children did not know what it was like to grow up in a Godly, loving home. But at the same time, I wasn’t sure if I’d be ok with having three complete strangers living with us. I heavily relied on the Lord for wisdom during this time. As I was praying about this, one sentence kept coming to my mind, “Trust in the Lord.” I was unsure of the change, but I knew that I needed to trust God. He knew that this was going to happen and it was all part of His plan.

We had a great support system from the very beginning. Our church family backed us 100%, and they were always there to offer help and support. They coordinated donations, took the kids now and then to give us a break, and constantly prayed for us. I felt so blessed to be surrounded with such giving and supportive people. They made the kids feel special and showed them the love of God. I hope that the children can look back on the time that they were with us and remember all those who cared for them and who showed them the love of Jesus. 

 We had the children for approximately eight months, and I can tell you that it was one of the most stressful yet rewarding experiences of my life. It was such a crazy time, but I believe that we drew closer as a family because of it. As I look back on it now, I do not think we could’ve made it through were it not for the Lord’s help. I never could have imagined that we would become a shelter family, but God knew. He knew that there was enough love in our hearts for three little ones that needed to be shown the love of Jesus, and He knew He would give us the strength to make it work.

This experience showed me that sometimes the unexpected opportunities are those that help you grow the most. At first, they can be scary and challenging, but God can use them to be the greatest blessing.

*Names were changed.