Forever Family

On channel 3 in Chattanooga, they often feature kids who are looking for a "Forever Family"...................just wanting someone to love them and adopt them.

I was watching it one night and was VERY surprised to see that the featured boy was one of MY STUDENTS.

It broke my heart........and changed everything for me...................and the other teachers.  NO WONDER he can not grasp "rounding" in Math.................that is not important.  He has more important things to worry about.......................he wants a family to love him.


The next day, I called him up to my desk and very discretely told him I saw him on TV and now he was famous since he was on TV.  He just smiled......  His name is Korben, but on TV and told them he prefers to be called Ben.  I asked him about that and he said yes..............so we are all now calling him Ben.

I do not even know his whole story.........................but I am sure he as been through a lot.  And what makes it even worse, is the foster home he is in is not the best situation.
(Few families choose to be foster parents because they feel called by God to do so.............but many do it for the $$$$.  Sad, but true.)

Long story short............Ben got in trouble Friday.  He made a bad choice and was sent home from school.  He was VERY upset and asked if he could talk to Mrs. Britton.  My principal came and got me.  I went in and talked to him about consequences of bad decisions.................and learning from our mistakes.  He cried like a baby....although he is in 6th grade.  I could not stop the tears, so finally I asked him if he went to church.  He said not now, but he use to when he lived with his adopted family..............but they got tired of him to put him back in foster care.

I told him if he use to go to church then he knew about praying.................so I could not change his situation, but I could pray for him.  He then asked if I would pray for him right then.  SOOOOO,.....I DID.  Bless him.............it seemed to calm him a bit and when I left he told me he loved me.

Please pray for Ben...................and pray he will get his Forever Family.

In this season of Thanksgiving..................I am Thankful for the freedom to pray with a hurting student that asked me to.