When You Realized Foster Care Wasn’t About Fixing — But Being Present

I used to want to fix everything.

The behavior. The attitude. The schoolwork. The bedtime chaos.

I saw myself as a repairman — show up, diagnose, apply wisdom, move on.

But then I hit wall after wall.

Nothing was changing.

At least, not in the way I expected.

And that’s when it hit me: I’m not here to fix — I’m here to stay.

I’m here to be present.

To be predictable.

To be a safe place, not a solution center.

Healing doesn’t come through quick fixes.

It comes through presence.

Through trust built slowly. Through love that doesn’t leave.

That shift — from fixer to father — changed everything.

It freed me.

It freed them.

And it let God be the One who restores, while I simply remain faithful.