In my job as a prosecutor…I guess I am sided with “the good
guys” (the police) in enforcing the laws of this state but I really don’t feel
like it’s me against the person charged.
I dislike calling a guilty verdict “a win” because it’s not really me
winning or losing a trial….it’s a guilty verdict or not guilty based on the
evidence. I just do my best to present
it. I truly work hard to be an ally for
people who have broken the law because of an underlying addiction or something
and find them help.
When it comes to foster care and foster-adoption…I find it
much harder not to take sides with the kids and push bio-parents to the other
side of the equation. After all, aren’t
we all thinking, bio-mom…how could you do what you’ve done? How could let your selfish desires overtake
your love for your children and their wellbeing?
It’s so easy to judge them and really well-up anger toward
them for the abuse and neglect they have allowed, permanently scarring and
damaging their children. It’s easy to
feel angry about our tax payer dollars being “wasted” on programs for these
people when they can use them for upwards of two years with no change, all the
while, the kids are still in the system.
What makes me the most angry though is when I am the one
tucking a little kid into bed at night and he tells me of the despair he feels
in his 6 year old way…boy, I can’t help but want to scream at bio-mom and shake
her! What is it going to take to get
your life in order? You’ve hit bottom
already…pull yourself together for your children!
When we see people as
losers, we treat them with contempt.
When we see people as lost, we treat them with compassion.
The Lord said, “I was hungry, and you gave me something to
eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you
invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked
after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” Then they asked him, “but Lord, when did we
see you hungry or thirsty or needing clothes or sick or in prison and do these
things?” He replied, “Whatever you did
for the least of my people, you did for me”.
This verse always stops me in my tracks…What we do for
others we literally do for our God. What
a thought!
When we actually met James and Ace’s mom…you couldn’t help
but feel sorry for her…even knowing what she had done to them and their
newborn brother. She was a mess from top
to bottom. We actually left and called
our worker asking if there was clothing and other necessities that she needed
which we could provide.
Somehow on this journey I’ve been able to find a soft spot inside me for
these kids parents…though losers by all standards except for in the eyes of God. With
his help, I pray that I can treat them with compassion because they are his beloved children just like we are.
Have a blessed week!
~Rachel
*Quote by Bob
Horner
