There were so many words to say yesterday, but I decided to opt for silence. Now I don’t know where to start.

Just over a week ago a baby came into the world. Until today I haven’t publicly acknowledged the gender or name, but having been given permission to, the baby is a beautiful girl named Katie.

Yesterday Katie went to a foster home.

Yesterday, everything changed for a child, a mom, a dad and a whole community of people trying to gather around.

Yesterday and today, I weep.

I weep because parenting is already so very challenging without the additional layers of challenge these parents face. I weep because this felt like an opportunity to be “church” the way church is meant to be. I weep because I wonder if it was harder to have hope for a week than no time at all. I weep because I already miss Katie.

The tears help to soften my fear and dismay. We were church this week and need to continue being just that. I believe this caused us to consider that it really does take a whole village to raise a child. Too few of us have experienced the village actually showing up.

I am making plans with the Children’s Aid Society to get all of the things we gathered up to Katie and her foster family. Thank you to all who were able to help. Our support doesn’t end now for anybody in this situation. Neither does our hope for Katie’s future.

Our village needs to remain intact.