Eco Map

This past Thursday night was our final 3 hour class for foster parenting. It was a little emotional, an overabundance of joy and eye opening to say the least. Our final project for the class was to create an ECO-Map which is basically a giant bubble -graphic organizer that categorizes things. Our categories were to focus on people and events that take energy and give energy to us.

When I first started my poster I zipped through the first 5 bubbles of the given things that give and take energy: family, inlaws, teaching, church, marriage. I color coated my connection lines to indicate if they were positive energy sources or negative.

I sat there and stared, thinking how pathetic my project was and knew that when we got to class other people will have invested time into their project in order to actually learn from it. SO...bubbling away I went!

God used this project to absolutely confirm in me the support system we have surrounding us. The people God has given us that really build us up, push us to make the right choices in our life, and the people we are trying to share Jesus with in our lives. All of the people on our ECO-MAP require energy from us and most of those people return energy making it a perfect balance.

After completing the project I can easily say I am BLESSED beyond measure with amazing people in my life. I was literally shocked at how many people were on my poster that are considered our support system and God overwhelmed me with an unexplainable peace that John and I can do what he has set before us to do. God will give us wisdom and strength and the people he puts in our life will offer secondary support that is priceless through the fostering process.

I also realized I only had 2 bubbles on my chart that I consider semi-negative energy that can suck the life out of me quickly. I keep these people at arms reach and will continue to force myself to give energy to them but not receive their negative energy.

So, I guess this is it. We wait for the state to approve our paperwork and then wait some more for Thompson's to place the right child in our care. Wow--this is getting real, really fast!