I was raised around foster care from a fairly young age. I came to know many things about the system—the roll of a social worker, the loads of medications many kids come with, “the call” asking my parents if they would be willing to take in a new child.
All of this helped me to understand the kids who came through my parents’ home a little bit more. I learned that each story is important, no matter what the history is. I realized that grace was essential on both ends of the relationship, not just one.
But there were a few things that really struck a cord with me, and I want to share them with you.
First, I came to understand that there is more to all of our stories than any other person will ever know.
I’ve shared a house and friendships with kids who have been through more than I could even imagine. I’ve seen them struggle with sorting out emotions, and I’ve also seen them rise above the pain and grow to be incredible adults.
There are things about each of those kids I met that I will never be able to comprehend.
Part of the irony in our culture today is that we feel like we have to know everything. We have to have a say in what’s going on, and we have to come out on top.
But that’s not real life.
Real life is about understanding that we each walk a different path, and we won’t have all the answers.
Real life is about being there to listen, to comfort, to sit in their pain with them. Not pretending that we know what they are feeling, or telling them what they can do different.
We have no right if we haven’t experienced what they’ve experienced.
But we can be a rock if that’s what they need, or a shoulder if they need to cry, or a listening ear if they need to vent.
Secondly, there is more to ourselves than we even realize. In my book, titled More To Me, the main character, Bri, goes through more than she ever thought she could bear.
One thing after another destroys the only life she’d known, and she’s left feeling alone and broken.
But somehow she kept going, taking one step at a time until she reached a point where she overcame the pain in her life. It was hard, but she took that one more step, and then two more, and so on—until she had risen above the pain.
It might seem impossible to go on some days, but I promise there is hope in your story too.
When we feel at the end of our rope, there’s always more to us than we know. It’s not until after the storm that we are able to see it, but push through and it will prove itself in time.
***
Saty Cornelius is a writer, wife and adventurer. You can find her debut novel, More To Me, on Amazon or her website, www.satycornelius.com. Saty has a strong love for Jesus, the ocean, and chai tea lattes. She appreciates the value of stories—messy or inspiring, real or fictional—and has a dream of helping people find their worth through the power of these stories.
All of this helped me to understand the kids who came through my parents’ home a little bit more. I learned that each story is important, no matter what the history is. I realized that grace was essential on both ends of the relationship, not just one.
But there were a few things that really struck a cord with me, and I want to share them with you.
First, I came to understand that there is more to all of our stories than any other person will ever know.
I’ve shared a house and friendships with kids who have been through more than I could even imagine. I’ve seen them struggle with sorting out emotions, and I’ve also seen them rise above the pain and grow to be incredible adults.
There are things about each of those kids I met that I will never be able to comprehend.
Part of the irony in our culture today is that we feel like we have to know everything. We have to have a say in what’s going on, and we have to come out on top.
But that’s not real life.
Real life is about understanding that we each walk a different path, and we won’t have all the answers.
Real life is about being there to listen, to comfort, to sit in their pain with them. Not pretending that we know what they are feeling, or telling them what they can do different.
We have no right if we haven’t experienced what they’ve experienced.
But we can be a rock if that’s what they need, or a shoulder if they need to cry, or a listening ear if they need to vent.
Secondly, there is more to ourselves than we even realize. In my book, titled More To Me, the main character, Bri, goes through more than she ever thought she could bear.
One thing after another destroys the only life she’d known, and she’s left feeling alone and broken.
But somehow she kept going, taking one step at a time until she reached a point where she overcame the pain in her life. It was hard, but she took that one more step, and then two more, and so on—until she had risen above the pain.
It might seem impossible to go on some days, but I promise there is hope in your story too.
When we feel at the end of our rope, there’s always more to us than we know. It’s not until after the storm that we are able to see it, but push through and it will prove itself in time.
***
Saty Cornelius is a writer, wife and adventurer. You can find her debut novel, More To Me, on Amazon or her website, www.satycornelius.com. Saty has a strong love for Jesus, the ocean, and chai tea lattes. She appreciates the value of stories—messy or inspiring, real or fictional—and has a dream of helping people find their worth through the power of these stories.
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