This life is real and complicated, messy, colorful, good, exhausting, and exhilarating—often simultaneously. It’s easy to feel overburdened by life’s demands. Looking out into the world as well as under the roof of our home may cause us to question, “How did we get here? And how will we get through?”
Jillana Goble has been there. She’s on the show today sharing what she’s continually learning on the suspension bridge between reality and hope. A mom via foster care, birth, and adoption—in that order—for nearly two decades, Jillana has experienced life’s curveballs. Her come-as-you-are posture amidst a daily reality far different than she ever imagined reassures you that you’re not alone if your life isn’t tidily wrapped in a bow.
Today’s stories will stay with you as you strive to love and to love well, even when—and especially when—it’s hard. Whether you are widening your family circle or just trying to get through the day, we welcome you to the table and offer you an anchor of hope to hang on to as you navigate your own love-stretched life.
Quotes:
“The goal of foster care is reunification.”
“We are changed in proximity to people and oftentimes we are changed in proximity by people who are different from us.”
“We all have a desire to be connected and belong. It’s innate in all of us.”
“I didn’t realize love could multiply and not divide.”
“I’ve learned what it means to be steadfast in the family and to let go of preconceived expectations that I’ve had.”
“We are tempted to be formulaic in our parenting. If we do all the right things it will equal a certain outcome.”
“Worthy and difficult or not mutually exclusive. They can be very much intertwined.”
“Here is an invitation to become powerless and be exposed to things that you cannot fix.”
“I oversimplified people’s struggles to fit into my narrow paradigm.”
“There is beauty in sharing the messy middle of our stories.”
“All adoption is rooted in loss.”
“As long as there is breath there is hope.”
“Sometimes just putting one foot in front of the other is a holy act.”
“We stand in the tension of the now and the not yet.”
“I’d rather be planning and looking forward to the future, but God keeps reminding me to focus on today.”
“To be a love offering keep doing the next small right thing.”
“There’s always the way something sounds in theory and then the reality.”
“There is no shame in being realistic about who you have the capacity to parent.”
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