One analogy I love so much is about a cup of tea. When you fill up a tea cup just to the brim, the liquid curves but doesn't spill out. If you try to move the teacup though, things are going to get messy. Now, What if I told you we are all teacups?
In life, if we fill our cups with love, joy, and peace and we are shaken, then that is what comes out. But if our cups are full of fear, hurt, and all the brokenness that has surrounded our life then that is what comes out. When Selena found herself in foster care she was filled to the brim. Her teacup had been moved and all the hurt, all the fear, and all the abuse poured out.
Selena was placed in our home by God and we quickly learned what had happened to her while in the care of her birth parents. She had endured so much in her 10 years of life. We were shocked and saddened by all the past experiences she shared with us. Jeff and I were quickly thrust into a situation in which we were not at all prepared. All the hours of foster care training fell short in preparing us to care for this little girl. Even though the training was long and in depth we were not ready to tackle the kinds of emotional and physical trauma she laid before us. We found ourselves caring for a little girl who had endured terrible physical and mental abuse. No training, no life experiences only the grace and mercy of God equipped us to handle what was on the horizon. We were faced with a lost little soul looking for a safe place to hide from the world.
The next months would prove to be the most challenging of our relationship and marriage of over thirty years. We would be challenged on every level known, emotionally, physically and most of all spiritually.