Courage & Hope: The Bess Family
The Bess family on adoption day!
Throughout the Bible we are instructed to be strong and of good courage. Psalms 31:24 tells us to, “Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the Lord.”
Being courageous and hoping in the Lord is exactly how David and Joshlyn Bess have been choosing to live their lives. After their first adopted son, Wyatt, passed away from childhood cancer in March 2017 at the age of 3, they still desired to follow the Lord’s calling to love children and be a father to the fatherless. After taking time to pray, heal, and process, they continued to seek the Lord and His ways. When that led them to foster with Alabama Baptist Children's Homes (ABCH), their hearts were open and receptive.
Joshlyn says, “We started the foster classes with really open minds. We had no idea where it was going to go. We felt led to do it. We felt led to get answers. We felt led to learn more.”
Even though losing Wyatt was extremely difficult to go through, when it came to making the decision to foster, they did not let fear of the unknown or the likelihood of having to one day say good-bye to children they loved and cared for keep them from becoming foster parents. In fact, from what they had been through, they learned an important lesson that made them more open to fostering. “I think through our very uncommon journey with Wyatt, God was able to reveal to us in a very real way that we really don’t have control, and that’s not a bad thing. We don’t, ultimately, have control over how long our children are with us,” Joshlyn says.
Upon receiving the request for a first placement of three brothers after becoming licensed foster parents, she and David were initially hesitant to take on all three boys, Cayden, 4, Jay, 2, and Jaxon, 1, at once. Not knowing if they could both continue to work full-time was a concern, as well as finding a daycare that could meet their needs. But after just one weekend together, they knew this was the right thing to do.
The Lord has provided for their every need, and Joshlyn shares how in the last year, her and David’s hearts and lives have been transformed by the presence of these boys, “The fullness and the laughter and the fun that has filled our house and our hearts in the last year … has been just fun and incredible and never ending.” Also in the last year, these brothers have found a forever home with the Besses! After nearly a year in their care, they were adopted in early 2020.
This family has been able to experience lots of growth and learning together, as well as exciting firsts and fun like big trip memories of going to the beach and simple day-to-day memories like having breakfast for dinner at Waffle House. Joshlyn and David have also been able to form new friendships with people from their foster parent classes and have become foster care advocates, encouraging others to take the classes.
Although Joshlyn and David’s story is known around their community of Auburn-Opelika, Joshlyn shuns any praise she and David may receive for becoming foster parents. “It’s a mindset of ‘It’s not about you.’ We really haven’t done anything extraordinary. We’ve just done something really common that’s really needed,” she says. She gives the analogy of a child in the middle of the street with an oncoming car. “Wouldn’t you run out to save them?” she says. The Lord simplified it that way in their eyes. She explains, “People are needed in these kids’ lives to make a difference and to follow the call and see where it goes.”
If you think God is calling you to learn more about becoming a foster parent, visit our web page for more information!
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