Bethany and her husband, Benji, originally planned to foster school-age kids or older and did not plan to accept any babies. But when they got the call for Journey, they couldn’t say no. Little did they know she would be diagnosed with a brain tumor with an unknown prognosis and months of appointments and treatments that followed.
Today on the podcast, I’m thrilled to be able to have one of our TFI Advocates, Bethany Riley, with me. Bethany first had a heart for international adoption but as newlyweds, her husband Benji and herself were led to foster care in the United States. She has been a foster parent to teens and little ones for the past 15 years.
Her story isn’t just one of diverse experiences of foster parenting, but also of adoption and loss and grief. Their daughter, Journey, was diagnosed with a brain tumor. As they walked through the challenges of her complicated medical treatment as foster parents, they made the decision to adopt her regardless of the outcome of her treatment. They finalized her adoption just eight days before she passed away.
The journey isn’t always easy, but it is worth it. I hope that’s the message you’ll walk away with after today’s conversation.
TAKEAWAYS FROM TODAY’S CONVERSATION:
1. God is there.
In the midst of hard moments and difficult situations, God is there. He isn’t unaware of our situation. He equips us for the hardships ahead and oftentimes will give us supernatural strength to face what the future holds.
“We were exhausted but we just enjoyed her so much and God gave us supernatural strength in those moments.”
2. Giving someone a home is worth it.
For Journey, it was only for a total of eight days that they officially called her “daughter.” Though their time with her was short, it was worth it. They were able to give her a home, comfort, and familiarity that might not have been present if they had said no to the placement. Even if something seems small or too short to be worth it, know that every “little” thing you do matters to the child you are giving it to.
“If we didn’t say yes, Journey would have spent her entire life in a hospital.”
3. Hardships can be blessings too.
Even when we experience hard things in life, don’t miss out on the blessings that are present through the hardships. God might show up and let us see His heart. Or we might learn more about ourselves or see the impact our consistency has on a child or family. There is still pain in going through hard things, but there are blessings to be found there as well.
“If it’s a calling from God, He’ll give you the strength that you need and you are going to see blessings from that.”
Meet Our Guest
Bethany Riley is a TFI Advocate, adoptive parent, foster parent, and medical equipment repair person. Bethany used to teach the 4th grade but transitioned after COVID-19 to fixing medical equipment at hospitals and instructing a class at a local community college. Bethany and her husband, Benji, have been married for 7 years and have fostered over 15 children and adopted their daughter, Journey, who passed in 2021. Today, they have a two-year-old son and two foster children. In their spare time, they like to travel, cook, and play board games together.
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