For weary foster parents, Psalm 127 offers a reminder that God’s care continues even when our energy runs out.
How many of us have taken on the role of keeping the universe spinning for all of those in our households? I’m raising my hand! Both hands actually. Many caregivers find ourselves working full-time, scheduling every doctor’s appointment, therapy, school meeting, extra-curricular activity, while also staying up late to console a teen; navigating sleep routines and finding the perfect nightlight or bedtime routine; figuring out friend groups; scheduling playdates; navigating vacation planning and family time; worrying about teaching our kids about the Bible and social injustice; avoiding situations that may cause our children pain or discomfort; basically jumping through all the hoops to keep everything in place physically, emotionally, socially, and spiritually for those who are in our care at all times. In addition, we often lay in bed at night replaying our failures to successfully keep the world spinning and inability to meet all of those needs for those we love.
So for all of us who walk in that exhaustion and failure, let’s just sit with Psalm 127 (NLT) for a minute.
“Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted. Unless the Lord protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good. It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.”
This is a sobering reality, but also freeing.
What am I really so busy doing? And why?
Verse 1 clearly says that “Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted.” There is no point in working nonstop to do everything for everyone I love at all times. Only the Lord can “build the house.” If it isn’t something that aligns with His purposes for my kids’ lives, and that He has asked me to do, then all of my work is wasted. Only God is the one who can build our days, our lives, our purpose. I have to give that to Him each day and sit back and accept whatever His “to do’s” are for my kids, my family. More often than not, the work that I am continually striving to do isn’t what is in line with what God is really asking me to do. So my time, effort, and emotion is wasted.
What am I worrying about protecting?
My full-time job can easily default to being the full-time role of protector. How many of the things on my never-ending list as “keeper of the universe” go back to worry, fear, protection for my kids? Verse 1b says, “Unless the Lord protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good.” A deep, hard look at what I am adding to my to do list each day and the impossible responsibilities that I am placing on myself goes back to the need to protect those I love. That is not what God is asking me to do. I can build walls of protection with my best efforts, and they will do no good.
What am I trying to provide?
Verse 2, “It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.”
When I step back and look at the burdens I place on myself, the unrealistic expectations that I can never live up to, and put them within the context of this scripture, all that I am doing is useless. Working night and day to meet all of these needs, to “anxiously work for food to eat” is essentially me working non stop to try and provide for all my needs, and for the needs of those I love. While caring for myself and my children is my role as a mom, it requires a perspective of understanding that it is only the Lord who can truly provide and meet their needs. Apart from Him, there is nothing I can provide for them.
The reality that God is creator, protector, provider of all things takes this big giant burden off of my shoulders and puts it on His. My job is the handoff. I see the need and I get to hand it off to Him and rest in that. There are so many incredible truths from verse 2, but here are two main truths to remember:
God loves me. I am ‘his loved one.’
Rest is a gift He has for me. It comes from trusting Him.
So do I trust that God can build it all? Protect it all? Sustain it all? Find a purpose for it all? If I don’t, then I don’t trust that God is who He says He is.
If I don’t, then I can never rest.
If I don’t , then I can’t accept that I am loved.
Receiving the Rest God Gives
So when we are confused about the daily “to do’s” and worries that are piling up and what God is really asking us to do, we can go back to the instruction that Jesus so kindly gave to us. Jesus explained the only “work” we are to do is to keep the most important commandment, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind and all of your strength. The second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself.“(Mark 12:29-31).
Don’t default to building, protecting, providing and killing yourself in the process. Give all that to the Lord who wants to do it for you, and give you rest. And for those who are like myself and can’t stop working and striving – turn and put that heart, soul, mind and strength work ethic into loving the Lord your God. When we place our time, efforts, and hearts into loving God, we can trust Him with the outcomes, even on days when we still feel overwhelmed.
God has rest waiting for you, His loved one.
What is one worry you can hand to God today, and one task you can invite someone else to help carry?
Find Encouragement and Practical Support
If the weight of caregiving feels heavy, explore How Foster Parents Can Avoid Burnout for more encouragement, or read Building a Foster Parent Support Network for practical ways to invite others into your family’s circle of support.
You Can Receive Support, Too
Rest can begin with handing a worry to God and letting someone else help carry the day. Joy Meadows connects foster, kinship, and adoptive families in the Kansas City area with practical resources and community. Explore support for your family and take one step toward the help and connection you need.
