A Safe Environment

Families that are built on the firm foundation of Jesus Christ have the potential to create an atmosphere that nurtures the children and helps them grow spiritually, physically, and emotionally, and provides a tremendous blessing for parents. And, that can apply to areas of adoption and foster care. Psalm 127 offers this insight:
(1) Unless the Lord builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the Lord guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain.
It goes on to say:
3 Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one's youth.

Other translations say that children are a "gift" from the Lord.

Actress Jen Lilley and her husband certainly believe that, and realizing their home is built on Christ, they can provide a loving environment even for children whom they choose to foster.  That's based on a CBN article, which relates that her exposure to foster care started when she was young - the article quotes her as saying:

“My parents were kind of what I call unofficial foster parents. My dad was a judge and my mom was a director of a women and children’s charity.”

Because of these roles, the family couldn’t legally foster children, but that preclusion didn’t “stop them from having compassion,” she said.

“Our home was kind of a rotating door at times for people that maybe just needed help transitioning and bridging in their life,” she said. “So, the idea of a child living in my home who wasn’t in my immediate family was not scary to me.”

She and her husband Jason embarked on the fostering journey by taking a little girl into their home; CBN reports:

The actress said her Christian faith motivated her to foster and adopt.

“When love is your motive, you have to look at these kids,” Lilley said. “You can’t look away.”

She is especially troubled, though, that the state of Vermont has shut the door on Christian parents adopting.  The article states:

Lilley also spoke out against Vermont reportedly blocking Christian families from adopting over their biblical beliefs — a story that made headlines last year after two families filed a lawsuit.

At the time, the actress warned the decision by Vermont’s Department for Children and Family Services to ax two families’ licenses was a constitutional violation.

“This action not only violates our constitutional rights but also jeopardizes the well-being of children in dire need of safe, loving homes,” she said. “The government is deciding that it’s safer for a child to remain in a dangerous and potentially life-threatening situation than to live in a home with Christian beliefs? Make it make sense.”

A statement from the Department for Children and Families expressed concern that Christian parents would not affirm a foster child's sexual orientation and/or gender identity.  The CBN article adds that Lilley has a strong message for the Church:

Lilley doesn’t know where the issue will go or what will unfold but added that the church needs to think deeper about the next steps, especially if Christians are de-licensed.

“Maybe that looks like the church stepping in before the government, opening up their homes as safe homes — that’s a thing,” Lilley said. “And how beautiful would that be if single moms, single dads, families that are going through crisis say, ‘I don’t have the ability to safely provide for my child,’ and the church steps up and says, ‘We have five homes within our church, how can we wrap around you? How can we serve you? How about we take care of your children and actually provide them love, stability, and safety?'”

There are two issues here - one is the bias against Christians in Vermont who have desired to foster, yet they have been prevented from adopting, reportedly due to their Christian faith.  That is another situation of calling good, evil, and prevents qualified, loving parents who are called by God from living out their faith and providing a safe, nurturing environment for a child.   

We can also recognize that there are children who are needing that loving environment, either through adoption and/or foster care.  Sometimes, foster care will lead to adoption.  Christian parents can be selected, trained, and equipped in order to provide a loving, Christ-centered home and become part, at least for a limited period of time, of that family.  We can also choose to walk in love and consider how God might use us to share His love.