Much like cleaning poop

Ppl are scared of the "bad side" of foster care. They hear the horror stories. They hear a few adoption stories. They don't hear the good stories...why? Cuz we're busy chasing children, teaching, disciplining, loving them, and cleaning poop.
So you want to know what the regular every day things are?

When "Firebird" came into our home just 5 short days ago she brought with her a pair of shoes...covered in poop. Apparently she'd stepped in poop somewhere and it didn't get it cleaned off. It had been there a while and thus dried.
I put them in the bathroom and ignore them until today.

Therefore I had to soak them in hot water....WITHOUT getting the leather inside wet or I might ruin them more. I had to scrub and pick them. I had to keep wetting them and being so careful with them. My fingernails poking in the rubber prying out that stubborn dried for too long poop. It took a while, too long for itty bitty shoes but I finally got it acceptable. Not clean but acceptable where they could be worn. I did not, however, keep from getting the leather wet so we still have to see if they will make it and not be forever changed by wet leather smell.

Now. Picture those shoes are actually a child and change all the actions to what you'd do with a child who's come into your home broken, and dirty, and hurt.

It's not your fault the poop got there. It didn't come from your yard. But you are the one who has to bear the smell and scrub gently trying to bring some restoration in that child while he/she's in your home. You have to cover him/her with love and do things to heal/fix him/her while being very careful not to cause more damage that may or may not be permanent.
And then. When you're done, you still don't know. You don't know if the child will bear the scars/marks/smell/etc of the poop they've been through.

You just have to do the best you can, and trust in God to do the rest. 

And for us, that journey has just begun.