“The Highchair That Changed My Prayers”
As I reflect on the past seven months at Project 2.5+, I want to share ways God’s provision has been clearly evident. While I can be intentional with taking note of His power or faithfulness, I sometimes forget that He is a God of great detail.
If you are unfamiliar with what goes on behind the doors of Project 2.5+, let me give you a quick snapshot. When families step into the role of caring for children entering foster care, they are often met with the uncertainty of what that child may need upon arrival. An infant may arrive with a single bottle; a couple of diapers and one outfit. A teenager may walk through the door with only the clothes on their back. Every situation is different and circumstances play a huge part in the condition of the arrival. That’s where Project 2.5+ comes in. Foster families can reach out to us for necessities of any kind and time and time again I’ve watched God provide in ways only He can…….
One day a foster mom arrived with a four-pound infant that had been placed in her care. The child was smaller than a loaf of sourdough bread, no joke. As we searched through our diaper inventory there were no preemie diapers to be found. In fact, I had actually never seen a preemie diaper come through donations. A volunteer searched again just to be sure -nada. I quietly prayed “Lord, I’ve seen you provide before, if you could, just show us…but if You don’t, I know you are still good.” We moved on, chatting casually when that same volunteer walked up and smiling and said “hey, I found some preemie diapers”..…. the remarkable part… She found them in the exact area we all had already searched……Okaaay God, okaaay.
Then there was a day I handed out our last highchair. I didn’t add it to the donation list; I didn’t mention it to anyone. I simply thought to myself “Well bummer, that was our last one, hopefully we won’t have a request for another too soon.” Not long afterward, an SUV wheels in, out pops a stranger that says, “Hey, I’ve never been here to donate but I have a donation for you!” What do you think was in the back of that vehicle…. nothing but a highchair.
I share these moments with you because while Project 2.5+ does provide practical support, these stories have never really been about diapers or highchairs or clothing. They’ve always been reminders that God i faithfully at work in the details-the needs we can see and the ones we can’t. And that’s exactly what brings me to prayers for all children. Necessities like diapers, highchairs and clothing may meet physical needs, but every child will face needs that can’t always be seen-grief, disappointment, fear, doubt, uncertainty.
We cannot shield our children from every heartache, but we can meet them with prayer-intentional prayer. I cannot hold the idea that at some point my children will not doubt themselves and walk through grief, any more than I can guarantee a life free from broken expectations.
A foster mom once shared a perspective that has stayed with me: Disappointment, grief and doubt-you name it-heartache will eventually make its way to the surface. Our job is not to force thankfulness or receive their pain personally. Our job is to point them to Jesus, the One who will soothe the ache, and provide the detailed needs of their hearts. The more I’ve reflected on those words, the more I’ve realized they apply to every child, not just the ones in foster care.
If God cares enough to provide preemie diapers and highchairs at the perfect moment, how much more can we trust Him to provide the detailed needs of our children’s hearts. He is such a God of detail.
Interested in touring Project 2.5+? Reach out to me! I’d love to share what The Lord is doing through the lives of volunteers, foster parents and children in our area! Want to participate but can’t offer time-reach out to me to receive a link for our Amazon Wishlist at Project 2.5+ that helps us receive specific items!
