Ten Things that Caught My Eye Today May 10 2019

1. For the past few days I’ve been in Louisville, Ky. at the annual summit of the Christian Alliance for Orphans. It’s a gathering of some 2,000 people from at least 44 different countries, many who lead foster-care or adoption ministries — CAFO includes more than 195 member organizations. Many of these leaders are also foster or adoptive parents as well. I can’t tell you how inspiring it is to see all of these people, who like, St. Peter, step out of the boat and trust that following Jesus is the only way to live. On Thursday, I listened to an 18-year-old, Trent Taylor, talk about how as a young child he was in five foster homes in eight years. It wasn’t until the fourth that his sexual abuse ended. “I was afraid all the time,” he said as he explained how he would sometimes be moved abruptly in the middle of the night.

I would test families because I had to know if they would give up on me or not,” he said. “I needed to know if I could trust them,” he continued. “Be compassionate with these kids. Love them. Show them that you are in this with them. My adoptive parents would cry with me. “I cry because you cry,” my mom would say to me. This was healing.

Not everyone is called to be a foster parent, but goodness are we all called to see what our role in supporting family life and their flourishing is!

2. As you’re probably aware by now, Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend Indiana is one of the Democrats currently running for the Democratic nomination. On Thursday he tweeted: “A woman has enough to deal with when it comes to her health care without also having to worry about male politicians telling her what she ought to do with her body. Georgia’s abortion ban is a cruel attack on women’s autonomy and freedom — one that we must continue to resist.” We really are all smarter than this. Women and men both have a responsibility to the most vulnerable unborn and their mothers.

3. Kendrick Castillo was an 18-year-old who was murdered this week in the Colorado school shooting while trying to defend his fellow classmates. Castillo, who wanted to be a Knight of Columbus just like his Dad, has been described by friends and family as a living saint who always looked out for the lost or forgotten. He died, literally laying down his life for his friends. May we all be known for such love.

4. In the Wall Street Journal: Coming to Appreciate Stay-at-Home Moms