When Foster Care Becomes Holy Ground

A God Story of Healing, Faith, and Standing in the Gap

People often misunderstand why someone chooses to foster.

“They think I’m just obsessed with babies,” Jenna says with a laugh. “Don’t get me wrong, I love these children deeply, but let’s be real. Children are work. They are needy. I value my rest and my ‘me time’ just as much as the next person. I’m not a saint, and my heart isn’t bigger than anyone else’s.”

Jenna is not a foster mom because it is easy or because she is wired differently. She stays for one reason.

“I’m addicted to seeing God move from glory to glory.”

Recently, that faith was tested in a deeply personal way.

When Lily, a tiny infant placed in Jenna’s care, arrived at her home, something felt off. Lily would break out in beads of sweat just sitting still. Her cheeks flushed bright red from even minimal exertion. Doctors soon confirmed what appeared to be a devastating diagnosis. A serious heart defect that would require surgery.

On paper, the diagnosis seemed final.

But Jenna has walked this road before.

“This is where opportunities to see God move become present by faith,” she says.

Going to Battle Before Sunrise

One morning, before the day even began, Jenna went to battle in worship.

“I claimed victory. I reminded God of His promises,” she recalls. “I told Him that even if this was Lily’s lot for a season, we would remain faithful, but I was standing on the authority of His healing.”

Peace followed.

“I didn’t even need to ask others for prayer. I knew my Father heard me.”

Later that day, doctors shared unexpected news.

The diagnosis had been wrong.

What once appeared serious was now described as a minor condition many people live with every day.

But Jenna knew better.

“That wasn’t a clerical error,” she says. “That was Jesus. That was the victory of ‘by His stripes we are healed.’”

She calls it what it was. A miracle.

A Standing Mother

Jenna believes foster care is about far more than providing a bed.

“I have the privilege of being a ‘standing mother,’” she explains. “I petition the courts, both earthly and heavenly, for the children in my care.”

Her calling is not just to provide safety. It is to steward healing.

“I’ve traded my old addictions for a new one,” Jenna says. “Witnessing the power of God change a life right before my eyes.”

That day ended in praise.

“We sing. We shout. We give testimony to the God I know, the one who heals,” she says.

And she knows the journey continues.

“It was a good day,” Jenna reflects, “to bring us into the next day, the next challenge, until we see full restoration.”

“I love me some Jesus, y’all.”

Where This Story Meets Ours

At A Door of Hope, stories like Jenna and Lily’s are why we do what we do.

Every foster parent who says yes is stepping onto holy ground. They stand in the gap for children in crisis, offering not just a safe home, but faith, advocacy, and love. We exist to recruit, train, license, and support foster families so they are never standing alone.

If this story stirred something in you, your next step does not have to be a big one. Learning more is simply a conversation.

We invite you to join us for a no pressure online info session to hear what fostering looks like, ask questions, and discern whether this might be a place God is inviting you to step in.

Sometimes the first yes is just being open.

For privacy and protection, names and images used may have been changed to safeguard the identities of our foster families and the children in their care.