If I Don't Like It There, Can I Go Home?

"If I don't like it there, can I go home?"

It's Thursday night, I'm tired and John has a 7:30 appointment for a hair cut which he must have or else someone may accuse me of raising a shaggy sheep dog! So what's a mom to do for a quick dinner on the run? McDonalds of course. "Two three piece Chicken strips, a large fry, small drink and a flurry please." Wal lah! Dinner is served.
It wasn't but a few minutes into the meal that I noticed a boy about nine or ten years old who was very red faced and crying, sitting with him was another boy with his back to me. At the table next to them where two young ladies who seemed to have care over these boys. I commented to my son, "Oh, the little boy is crying, I wonder what's wrong." It wasn't long before I found out that something was terribly wrong through the conversation between the ladies and the boys. It seemed they were in route to a foster home. This one young boy that I could see, protested; "I want to go home. I want my mom. Can I call her? What if I don't like it there? What if she's mean? I just want to go home. Can I go home tomorrow?" The women replied; "No you can't go home or we will get in trouble from the judge. You don't want us to get in trouble do you? He said you need to stay at this place and the lady may be very nice. What if she has some really cool stuff? You just might like it there. No, you can't call your mom; she may call you in a few days. If you're finished with your food we need to go now.
Here was my son's response when hearing this; "They should just let him go home, didn't they hear him say he wants to go home? Why wouldn't he be allowed to go home?"
I explained to John that sometimes there are circumstances at home that make it unsafe for children to be in the care of the parents or adults they live with. But I must say this, it took everything I had not to go up to these boys and just hold them. We prayed for them on the spot and are continuing to do so. I will never know what happens to them but they have been lifted up to the "One" who knows it all. I gave my own son a big hug and kiss and told him again...how much I love him and how blessed I am to be his mom. I know his father feels the same. John is very appreciative of both his dad and I, but that night his eyes saw something that I don't think either of us will ever forget. Would these kids go home one day or would they go from foster home to foster home where they may be no safer than they were at their own homes? Would they be adopted? Or passed over for the coveted infant child? He said to me; "You know Mom this is why as much as I'd like a puppy, I'd really want to get an older dog because they're waiting to be adopted and nobody wants them."
Take a minute today, right now even, to tell your children how much you want them. Then tell them how much the Lord does! Don't wait...go do it.
"When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take care of me." Psalm 27:10 Dina