Choosing to be a foster parent is more than a decision—it’s a true calling.

Our foster parents make sacrifices, choose to serve even when it’s especially hard, and advocate for children every moment without knowing the outcome. They stand up for those in need, take grieving and confused children by the hand, and welcome the hard things with hope in God’s redemption for the broken.

Rachel Doyle is one of those foster parents. Below is an interview we recently did with her in celebration of her adoption of sweet Ensley. We are so excited for them to build a life together and for Ensley to have a safe place to call home!

Tell us about when God called you to foster!

Looking back now, it’s so cool to see how He was working and only giving me a step at a time. In my wildest dreams, I had no idea this is where my journey would take me. I’ve always thought fostering and adoption were beautiful things to do and were certainly ministries that God would want His people to do, so I told God and myself that I’d join in on this mission when I had a family of my own. I was waiting for after I was married.

A dear friend, who just happened to be adopted out of foster care herself, shared with me about how she was considering taking classes to be licensed. We were both single, so I was surprised to hear that she was stepping out to do this as a single woman. I honestly thought marriage was a requirement!

I considered it for a few weeks and then while attending a conference, half-heartedly sent an email to ABCH asking about classes . . . The next speaker at our conference shared the illustration of God being our good shepherd who guides us along the path of our lives pointing out each new bit of grass to us to feed on. She said, “God writes the very best stories” when we trust Him with all of our lives. Honestly, it’s hard to put into words how the Holy Spirit spoke to me in those moments, but I knew my next step.

Tell us about how Ensley came to your home.

Ensley came to me when she was 11 months old. She was my very first placement, so the night before she arrived, my family and best friend helped me throw a nursery together. She arrived on Friday, August 28, 2015. I remember walking outside to greet them and when the van door opened, I saw the sweetest, but very serious-looking little baby girl with the longest, perfectly curled eyelashes I had ever seen.

She came right to me and I walked back into my house. I remember thinking, “Oh my goodness . . . now I’m responsible for her! What do I do now?” I was really like a brand-new mom being handed a newborn . . . On one hand, everything about being a mom was so brand new but on the other hand, it all just felt so right and so easy—like we were supposed to be together.

What are some of your favorite memories with Ensley?

We love going to the beach for vacations and taking day trips to the zoo, but we also get a big thrill of spending time in the backyard on the swing set. I really love motherhood. I’ve always wanted to be a mom, and I thought I would never get to enjoy this. Don’t get me wrong—we have our tough moments. We can both be moody, and there are days when I get to the end of it all and realize all the mistakes I made.

But I have lived the majority of our three years together with the mindset of never knowing which day could be our last. My mom has reminded me often of the scripture Luke 2:19, “But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart,” and that’s what I’ve wanted to do—to ponder and treasure every moment.

In fact, that’s something that I hope doesn’t change now that things are finalized. I never want to take our moments for granted because children are not our own—they belong to the Lord.

Tell us about the journey to adoption and the adoption day.

Imagine the wildest roller coaster you’ve ever seen.

That’s what my heart has done. Like I said before, God revealed each step He had for me to take and when He wanted me to take it. I didn’t begin this journey with adoption as my end goal.

In fact, as my family began to question what was going on with Ensley’s case, I spoke about reunification and about how this was my purpose. However, the first time that our social worker ever asked if I would consider adoption as a result of TPR (termination of parental rights), I immediately said yes

Early on in fostering, I read a blog about God’s sovereignty in foster care—about trusting God to work out His plan for His kids regardless of our desires for them or what we think is best for them. Romans 8:28 became the verse that I would cling to, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.” Did that mean I would get everything I hoped for if I loved the Lord enough? Absolutely not. It means that He is working out His plan for His good and His glory.

Now at the end of our case, I love to see the neat little bow that God tied it all together with—the Scripture He spoke to me with (Romans 8:28), the day she came to me (8/28/15), and the day our adoption was finalized (8/28/18).

How has ABCH affected your journey?

Our ABCH workers have been so supportive throughout this journey, along with the friends that I went through classes with in the beginning. Fostering with ABCH gives such a feeling of community that I can’t imagine being able to do this any other way.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

What I want Ensley to grow up knowing about her story is that God has always had a plan for her and has been working it out for her. She is so loved by not just her new adopted family, but is also very loved by her birth family. When preparing for one of her surgeries and I knew that I would be spending time with her birth family, God very clearly told me that He had brought me to foster care not just so that I could love on these children, but so that I can minister to their families, as well.

That sounds so good . . . but it isn’t easy. We are navigating what our new relationships can look like now after adoption to stay in touch with her family. What is most important to me though is that she grows up knowing she is loved by so many people and ultimately by her Heavenly Father.

God is faithful and has been so gracious to us. I’m so very thankful for the community of support He has placed around me in my family and my faith family.

Psalm 44:8 says, “O God, we give glory to you all day long and constantly praise your name!”

Would you like to learn more about foster parenting with us? If so, check out our website!

Foster Parenting: God's Sovereignty Over All