Episode 88 :: Christina Suzann Nelson :: Stories of Adoption, Foster Care, and Beauty in the Broken Parts of Life
Today I’m chatting with the wise and incredibly kind Christina Suzann Nelson. Christina is an incredible author, and through connecting with her and learning about some of the story behind her most recent book,The Way it Should Be I got to hear her heart and got a glimpse of journey as an adoptive and foster parent. In honor of Foster Care Awareness Month, and because I think there is such a need for more stories like Christina and her families story to be told, she shares with us all about their journey of becoming the parents of 6 children, and seeing the Lord make Himself known in their story. Then, she shares how all of that translated into a heart that longed for hope filled stories to be written and how she began her journey as an author writing books that hold space for faith deepening, developing languages of compassion, and giving opportunities to process things in life such as addiction, broken hearts, disease, messy families, but remind us that God can and does still bring beauty from the ashes.
Christina is so kind and so warm and honest, and I just think you’re going to love hearing from her. It’s an amazing gift to believe in the possibility of life change, cultivating hearts of compassion, and watching God at work, and her stories and even our time together today, cultivate such a beautiful space to process all of those things, and more.
I know so many people that are walking through situations that we touched on today, and praying through what God would have them do next. Whether that’s caretaking, adopting, fostering, or even figuring out how to love a family member or friend who has been overtaken by addiction, or overwhelmed by the world they’re living in and you don’t know how to respond to them, The Lord is near. I do not in any way say that lightly. I have been in some of those pits, and I know the pain. This is not how the story ends and there is so much hope and even joy still to be found.
If you are interested in fostering or adopting or learning more about any of it, I’ve included some resources in the show notes for you. As with many scary things, I just want to remind you of something I heard a long time ago that always encourages me when I stare at my empty hands and seemingly impossible situations: the Lord does not call the equipped, He equips the called.
Today’s Episode Sponsor: Tony Crabtree with Crabtree Homes with Exit Realty
Home buyer guide: http://bit.ly/buyersguidecrabtreehomes
Seller guide: http://bit.ly/sellerguidecrabtreehomes
References:
Lindsey Krinks and Open Table Nashville
My conversation with Lindsey (it's just one episode back!)
My episode with Jane Kirkpatrick (Episode 53)
Foster Care Resources:
ACES Training (This is where one of my best friends who is a foster mother said to start.)
Trauma Informed Training for Foster Care Families
National Foster Parent Association
Scripture References:
Isaiah 30:21- Responding to the prompting of the Lord
Romans 3- We live in a broken sin-wrecked world
2 Corinthians 10:5- Take every thought captive
Romans 5:3-5-Fighting with hope and persevere
Psalm 139:7-13- The Lord will meet us anywhere we are
Ephesians 1, Isaiah 43:19- There is nothing and no one beyond redemption of the Lord (and practically the whole Bible is the story echoing this very truth.)
Psalm 25:1-3, Romans 5:3-11, Romans 10:13, Colossians 1:27- There is hope for everyone
1 Timothy 4:12-16 // Titus 2:3-5- One generation of women pouring into another and you’re never too young or too old to be used by the Lord (not to mention, David and Esther were incredibly young in their “giant” moments, Moses and Noah were incredibly old. Just to name a few)
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*Intro and Outro music is from audionautix.com