COLUMBIA, Md.—Becky and Bryant believe that they and their two boys are simply following the teachings of Jesus by caring for at-risk children.
And to their surprise and delight, their sons, ages 3 and 5, already seem to understand and believe in the basic principle of giving and sharing.
“Jesus taught us that if someone is hungry give them food, and if someone needs a home, open yours. We are trying to do our small part,” said Becky, seated at the dinner table with her family and a young guest, the baby daughter of a single mom.
For the past year, Becky, Bryant and their sons have been one of the dozens of volunteer “host families” in our program, Safe Families for Children. These families temporarily house and care for a child for days, weeks or months, giving their moms or dads time to deal with homelessness, drug addiction or some other personal crisis.
The mother of the baby girl seated at the table on this night is in transition. This is the second time in the past year that the baby has spent time with the family.
“I recall the first time we hosted her, she was acting a bit fussy at one point. Then without being asked, our youngest son went up to his room and returned with his favorite stuffed animal and blanket to give to her,” Bryant said.
“He was two years old at that time and we were having trouble teaching him to share. But in that moment he seemed to understand that he could help and that it was the right thing to do,” Bryant said.
More recently, they hosted a 9-year-old girl and her 11-year-old brother. Becky recalled that during the hosting, she and her oldest son were in their car at a bus stop when they saw a boy assist another youngster in a wheelchair.
She quoted her son as saying, “’Look Mommy, someone is helping that boy just like we are helping the brother and sister in our house. When they leave, we’ll let some new kids stay at our house too, right?”
Becky said, “I figured that he was anxious to get his house back, get his parents back, get his toys back. But in his mind – this is what we do.”
Becky and Bryant said that when they first considered hosting, they had plenty of misgivings. They wondered if they had the time or the space? Could they manage it?
They said they expressed their concerns with Tammy Folkerts, our program coordinator, who told them: “If you are willing to do it, God will sort it out.”
In recalling the exchange, Becky said, “We are blessed. Loving others is certainly not always easy, but in choosing to do so, we have the opportunity to demonstrate the love of Christ and teach our children to do the same.”