I can’t get passed this season without thinking about a little toddler named Michael. As many of my friends know, my amazing parents were foster parents to dozens of kids across two decades. Growing up, I did not know anything but a noisy, chaotic, Christmas with presents stacked so high in the living room that we could barely see the tree – and usually 6-10 kids tearing into those presents with a frenzy on Christmas morning.
Four of the kids were my biological siblings, my big brothers Terry and Doug, and my little sis, Tami. The other children were my emotional and spiritual siblings. Our lives were tied together by the intersection of their need for a safe, stable home and my parents’ open doors. We learned much from each other in the daily routine of cranking out necessary chores and walking to and from school. And sitting around a crowded dinner table made “family” happen for many of them and certainly redefined what family meant for me.
For eighteen months, one foster child captivated all of us – my parents and all the kids in the house. His name was Michael. His mother had actually been a foster child in our home for a few years. When she was unable to care for him after graduating from high school, he stayed with us. Then she left town and no one heard from her for over a year. It looked as if Michael might suffer the same foster care fate his mom did as she began a cycle of repeating the mistakes that her own parents had made.
At some point, it looked as though my parents might be able to adopt Michael since his mom had disappeared and we were the only family he really knew. I was overjoyed at the thought of a baby brother. Already invested in his life – I helped feed and care for him, posed him for funny pictures with hats and sunglasses, and just loved his sweet and gentle spirit. He was my little brother.
One day, I came home from school and sensed a shadow of pain and loss in the house. My mom had been crying and my father could barely find the words to tell us that Michael was gone. There had been some court hearing that day. His mother actually made a surprise appearance and in a matter of minutes, Michael was literally taken from the arms of the only parents he recognized and given into the care of a confused, wayward mother that he did not know or recognize.
I never got to say goodbye. And, because of the legal parameters of foster care at the time, rarely were foster families able to stay in touch with foster children after they leave. So, I never saw him again, either. Not a Christmas goes by that I don’t find a picture of Michael, wonder where he is and pray for good things in his life. I also pray for his mom, because even though she wounded us terribly, I understand the past she struggled to escape. I know that when she and Michael left our lives, there was much help and healing left to be done that could not happen.
It’s amazing how such losses can become driving forces in our lives. I find that my days can be defined by the “Michaels” that I don’t want to see leave my life with unfinished spiritual and emotional business. After years of walking alongside people on their faith journeys, I still want them to know they can always come back with their questions, doubts and struggles. There is no need to run away because of shame, grief or uncertainty.
That is the good news of God’s kind of salvation. Coming home to faith after a long time away is not only allowed, it is celebrated. And, we find relief and help in unpacking whatever baggage weighs us down from our travels. God never looses track of us and the invitation to return home is always before us. Oh, and he also gives us a spiritual family where we can belong.
If I could talk to Michael today, I would tell him that we never stopped loving him. I would ask him if always felt connected to the prayers, thoughts and love of a family hidden in his childhood memories. I would remind him that even though we could not go where he was going, God never lost sight of him.
Denise McKinney's Blog 