Redemptive Love

​Loving and doing are two different things. This is something I recognize often in our fostering experience.
 
Through my lens as a foster mother, I have first-hand seen promises made and not kept. I have seen little hearts and big hearts marred by brokenness. It is difficult to explain to a small child why something isn’t turning out the way they had thought it would…
 
Why didn’t Mommy visit?
Why can’t I go home yet?
Why does someone who says they love me keep hurting me?
 
Do you ever question Jesus’ plan for your life in the face of broken promises or betrayal from someone who said they loved you?

We are conditioned from a young age to think that love is summed up in the magical scenes we see on TV, where people fall in love and families live happily ever after.  And while those fairy tales sometimes do come true, it isn’t typically without some sort of hardship.  Paul describes for us in beautiful detail in 1 Corinthians what love is and what it is not. He shows us the type of love we are to practice during our walk here on earth, yet, inevitably, we fall short.
 
As humans, we break promises and hurt those we deeply care for, but Jesus, in His perfect existence and His sacrificial death for us, defines unfailing love.  Without Him, we will always falter at His command to love in all that we do.  We must have faith when we fail, and when we are failed by others, He is our redemption.
 
Today, I say to you the same words I share in response to those really hard questions from my foster children:
 
Precious babies, in the end, even if it all worked out perfectly, nothing will fulfill that deep, innate longing for love within you except for Jesus. I want you to know that even though there is hurt, your birth parents love you so very much. However, their love, like mine, is wildly imperfect. 
 
But wait! This is where Jesus comes in and it gets really good. See, despite our failures as humans, He has never once stopped loving you. He knows how many strands of hair are on your head. He knows what makes you laugh and what makes you cry.  He hears you each time you pray for your family and smiles when you show love to your siblings.
 
He has always been there for you and will always be there for you. You are wanted. You are loved. You were carefully created in the image of your heavenly father, Jesus.
 
He is the one that will never let you down and will never forsake you, even if other people do.  He is the one that loves you so much that He gave his life for you.
 
Your story is only beginning and you are loved more than you could ever imagine.
 
I love you, Mama LaL

Memory Verse: “'Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.'" Jeremiah 1:5 (NIV)

About the Author

​Hello! My name is Laura Pendley. I am a wife, foster mama, and Special Education teacher. Writer has served as an incredible outlet for me through the years as we have walked through infertility and into foster care. Our journey hasn't been easy, but the Lord has used it to grow us in ways we never thought possible. I am passionate about foster care and providing resources and support for children and families in need. I hope through sharing my own experiences, I can encourage other women to lean into Jesus and trust in His perfect plan for their life.

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