Loving Like Jesus
Will and Kate Rushing with their children
Our foster parents serve from many seasons of life. Some are empty nesters with grown children now out on their own. Some don’t have any children of their own, and choose to turn their attention and offer their resources to care for children in need. Others, like Will and Kate Rushing, both work full-time and are in a season of raising a family and welcome kids from hard places into that season.
During this season of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Rushings have found unique opportunities to enjoy time together and more time at home with their kids—three biological children and two children they are fostering. “The past month or so has been odd, but welcoming, to not be running to all the different band performances, baseball games, awards/honors days, field days, special field trips, etc.,” said Will. “With daycares closed during the stay-at-home order, Will has become a stay-at-home dad, a role he hasn’t had since our daughters were babies,” shared Kate.
BECOMING FOSTER PARENTS
Growing up in Mobile and active in the Girls in Action (GA) missions program at her church, Kate shares that she has known about ABCH for as long as she can remember. Her church provided Christmas in August to our Mobile campus, which was one of her favorite GA events of the year. Upon moving to Muscle Shoals seven years ago to pastor at Woodward Avenue Baptist Church, Will quickly became acquainted with ABCH through the State Convention.
They spent roughly a year praying and considering whether foster parenting was something they were being led to do. After determining that yes, this was the right direction, they began their foster care journey, which started with training classes, paperwork, and home studies. In the fall of 2017, they became licensed, and on the day they found out they were licensed, they dove right in.
Will says, “Our social worker called us up and said, ‘You are licensed, and, if you are willing, we have two children that meet your placement criteria and need to be placed today. What do you think?’ So, we immediately went from a household of five to seven the day we found out we were licensed.”
GOSPEL MINISTRY
In the last two and a half years, the Rushing family has welcomed ten children into their home. They have been amazed at seeing how God has worked in their lives and in the lives of the kids in their care. “Our experience in foster care has been a tad bit of crazy, mixed with a whole lot of growth, sacrifice, and love. We have grown in our personal walks with Jesus (lots of humbling of our hearts and realizing how incapable we are of serving without Jesus). And we've grown as a family,” said Will.
In the midst of it all, Kate and Will’s desire has been for the kids in their care to experience the love of Christ. “Even when a kid doesn't connect or can't 'love you back,' it is enough to know that Jesus loves them, Jesus loves you, and for a brief time in their lives, we were able to show those kids a Christ-like love,” said Will. “Being a foster parent is certainly a gospel ministry. Many kids who have never heard that Jesus loves them providentially find their way into an ABCH foster home and get to hear the gospel for the first time.”
Will shares a story of one such child who was placed with them. One day this little boy was frantically searching around the house for something. When Will and Kate finally asked what it was, he replied, “I am looking for Jesus. You always talk about him, so I wanted to see him.” It’s moments like these that the Rushings see God working through their time as foster parents. “Though he only stayed with us for a little over a month, for that month, Jesus was real to him,” said Will.
ENCOURAGEMENT FOR OTHERS: WAYS TO SUPPORT
No matter your season of life, foster care is something we can all be a part of. Although not everyone is called to foster, everyone can pray. Will encourages, “Pray for the kids who long to be home with family. Pray for their families to be able to work through whatever it is that has prevented them from being with their children. Pray for the foster parents to have connections (and patience) with their foster kiddo’s families as well as their foster kids.
“Pray for ABCH to maintain and exceed funding to continue their work. We can't imagine trying to do this work through any organization other than ABCH. The love and support that they offer their foster parents and the love and support that they show the kids in their care (as well as their families) is unmatched.”
Another way the Rushings say you can help is by getting involved in offering direct support to foster parents. You can do this through simple acts such as providing a gift card for a meal or purchasing some extra clothes or diapers for foster children. Also, a phone call or text to ask a foster parent how they are doing so they know they are not alone in their journey can make a big difference.
We hope this story encourages you and helps you to see what your next step could be in serving children and families in need. Find out here how to take your next step.