Trigger Warning: We want to let our listeners know that this episode includes mentions of sexual abuse, physical abuse, and thoughts of suicide. If you are sensitive to any of these topics, we recommend you listen with caution.
From the day she entered the world, Lucy Baker felt as though she didn’t have a home. Born inside of a jail to a mother in crisis, she was immediately placed into foster care and would end up having 37 different homes in her lifetime. Because of the extensive trauma she endured growing up, Lucy always struggled to feel as though she belonged. But Lucy knows that her past doesn’t define her future—and she’s found comfort in knowing that God always has a purpose for her life.
Lucy is a devoted Christ-follower, author, and speaker. Her formative years were tumultuous due to a complex family situation and challenging circumstances in foster care, but despite all the adversity she’s faced, Lucy has reclaimed her story. Today, she’s inspiring others to embrace the life-changing hope and healing only Jesus can bring.
In this episode, you’ll hear from Lucy about how an unpredictable childhood can warp a child’s worldview and sense of belonging, some of the struggles children in foster care often face but may not verbalize, how Jesus is our true home and source of stability, and much more.
- Connect with Lucy on Instagram or email her at [email protected]
- [BOOK] Lucy’s Teddy Bear
- Give to The Forgotten Initiative
- Foster Care & the Church
TAKEAWAYS FROM TODAY’S CONVERSATION:
1. Children in foster care may struggle to feel a sense of belonging.
As a child, Lucy often felt uninvited not only in the homes of strangers, but even with her own biological parents. Over time, she became convinced that she needed to constantly minimize the “inconvenience” of her presence. The pain that happens when a person feels they are unwanted can leave deep scars that follow children throughout their entire lives. As foster parents, adoptive parents, or simply people involved in the foster care community, it’s vital that we create spaces where children feel truly valued, safe to take up space, and confident in their belonging.
“That’s all I heard growing up, ‘I’m sorry, I don’t have room for you.’”
2. Our experiences stick with us.
The events and emotions a child experiences impact them significantly. These experiences can inform that individual’s outlook on life, how they perceive offers of help, and even how they receive love and affection. When someone develops a distorted perception of themselves and their relationships from the time they are very young, it can be hard to accept help or feel as though things will ever change. As we offer care to children or adults who have faced challenges we may not fully understand, it’s essential to approach these individuals with empathy and a deep awareness of these lasting effects.
“My world changed. My idea and perspective of love changed.”
3. Jesus is our home.
When all else fails us, we can turn to the ultimate source of stability, the home we can always belong to—Jesus. Jesus is a source of comfort that will never be shaken, and He is greater than anything or anyone that may cause us pain in this world. If you’re in the midst of a dark season, you may feel nervous to call upon Him for help, but this is precisely the time when He invites you to lay your burdens at His feet. No matter what, we can always find our home with Him.
“It’s so beautiful that His way of healing us is so gentle and so lowly that He meets us where we are at.”
Meet Our Guest
Lucy Baker is a devoted Christ-follower, author, and speaker. Her story began with foster care after she was born in a jail. Today, Lucy is inspiring audiences to outshine adversity, embrace hope, and transform the world by loving those around them.
Get encouragement and updates in your inbox.
Be the first to know about new episodes, posts, resources, and stay in the loop about what’s coming up.
Other Episodes You Might Enjoy:
