What An Odd World

I was just pausing to think of what an odd world I live in now. The world of foster care for sex offending boys is more than a little surreal at times and it has occurred to me this morning as I drove them to meet the school bus that 5 years ago, my daily experience was quite innocent. My daily vocabulary now includes words that would never have come out of my mouth when my own children were growing up. I spend a lot of time talking about victims and empathy for victims. I write out long criminal histories with them so that they can get to a better place in the level system. I read horror stories about how these young men were molested and abused as children. I help them write clarification letters to their victims and help them learn how to say I am sorry, even when no one has said it to them. And, in the process of all of this, I learn to care about these lost sheep only to have them whisked back to the world where they were lost the first time. My prayers now include a long list of young men that I hope He is looking after because I can't and their families won't. We have a young man staying with us for three days who is very, very gay, and I really looked forward to having him come. He is a really nice young man and I like to be around him. Truly the world is upside down and some days I am not sure how to get it right side up again.