Something hit me pretty hard the other day while sitting in class, it's called: The Child's Clock.
In this infertile blogging world there is much talk about the Maternal Clock and honestly that's why we started getting into foster care. I want to be a mom while I'm young. Adoption costs too much and adopting through foster care cost next to nothing. What if God doesn't have a pregnancy in mind until I'm 40? If nothing else maybe I can be a foster mom in the meantime. Whether we adopt or not, gosh I want to be a mom now! And I'm so greedy, part of the reason I want a 3-5 year old is to help ketch up for lost time. I feel like that's where I should be now. I should have a child that age. I should already have or be pregnant with the next. I married young. I want to be a mom while I'm young. Time is slipping by!
And that's where it hit me. Where we have an uncertain amount of time to become parents a child has a set amount of time to grow up. A child only has 18 years from the time they are born until they are an adult. 18 years that we can shelter them and make a positive difference in their lives before they are on their own. 18 years to obtain a forever family and most won't if they get passed 10 without one. Each year that passes that they are in an unstable home they'll end up falling behind: mentally? socially? physically? Maybe all of the above. Time is slipping by...
I want to take in 0-5 because even though you may not remember before you're 5, what you learn before then dominos into the rest of your life. I want to help a child ketch up. I want their growing up to get a good foundation. I want to provide a stable home where they can grow mentally, socially, and physically. I want to help them the best I can. As we get into fostering I pray God changes my focus; get it off the maternal clock and onto the child's. Because in the big picture of things theirs is far more important. I can't let this be all about me and my dreams, it's got to be all about them.
