Daily Devotional

My emergency foster care placements were two lovely teenagers. The minute they stepped into our house, I knew they were afraid.  Their fearful eyes and the way they hung on to each other declared their trauma.  They had never been in foster care before.  Both girls had beautiful long hair past their waist. The social worker warned me their hair was infested with lice.

After the social worker left, I gave the girls my usual speech when new foster kids come.  “Don’t worry, you are safe.  My family is here to help you.  You can call me, Mama Karon.  I’m not your mom—I am your foster mom.  I will take good care of you until the judge’s decision.”
 
Then I told the girls I was going to help them get rid of the bugs in their hair. At this, their eyes lit up for the first time.  I warned them that because their hair was so long, it would take several days.  We all marched up the stairs to the bathroom to begin the process with a lice treatment shampoo.

It did not take long for the girls to become chatty and relaxed. My daughter and I spent about four hours every day for five days outside on the patio combing through their hair.  Removing the lice eggs, or “nits” is a painstaking process.  The eggs are attached with a glue-like substance to each individual hair. Our lubricant of choice was mayonnaise.  We would wipe mayonnaise on the hair and using a special comb, we would gently slide off the lice eggs.  This is a marathon process with shoulder length hair—but my new foster daughters could sit on their hair!  
 
It was a grueling process.  The girls would sit an hour, then get up and stretch and sit down for another hour. Consequently, we had lots of time to talk!  The girls shared their hearts.  We listened and shared together.  They asked questions about God.  We carefully answered their questions. The birds in the trees overhead seemed to join us in our conversations.  It was actually a sweet five days as we dug deep into conversations.

It was appropriate to share this verse:
Matthew 10:29-31: “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So, don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”  

When I finally declared them nit-free, the girls hugged and kissed us.  They talked about how much better their heads felt and how wonderful to not have bugs anymore! The girls stayed two more days before I heard they were leaving.  The judge was sending them back to their family.  I will never forget the moment when I saw the girls run into their mother’s arms.  Just as I stepped back to leave, the girls’ mother grabbed me in a hug and cried.  “Thank you for keeping my girls safe!   Thank you! Thank you!”  I left that family, with a heart full of joy.

For the next two years, I got a call on the phone from the mother and teenage girls.  They all wanted to wish Mama Karon, a Happy Mother’s Day! Their lice-infested hair created a special connection!

PARENTS:

• Never forget, all the time you invest in caring for your children is important--even the most menial tasks can convey love.
• Go for a walk with your kids and talk about Matthew 10:29-31.

When you comb your kids hair tell them about the time Jesus explained how the Father knows everything about us—even how many hairs are on our heads! Continue on to tell your kids how Jesus told us to not be afraid.  We are so precious to Him.