Trusting God in Uncertainty – Finding Faith in the Unknowns of Foster Care and Adoption

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
— Proverbs 3:5–6 (NIV)

It was a rainy Tuesday afternoon when Sarah got the call.

A three-year-old boy had just been removed from his home. There weren’t many details—just that he needed somewhere safe, and he needed it now. Sarah glanced around her house, her heart pounding. She had said yes to God months ago, had gone through the trainings, filled out the paperwork, and prayed countless prayers. But now, staring into the unknown, she felt panic rising.

Would he stay a day? A week? A year? Forever?
Could she handle his trauma? His tantrums?
Would her heart survive the goodbye if it came?

The fear of not knowing can be paralyzing. And for foster and adoptive families, the unknowns aren’t just occasional—they’re constant. Unknown case outcomes. Unknown histories. Unknown needs. Unknown futures. It’s enough to bring even the strongest heart to its knees.

But maybe that’s exactly where faith begins—on our knees.

Scripture doesn’t promise us a life of clarity, but it does promise us a God who can be trusted in the middle of the fog. Proverbs 3:5–6 is more than a nice wall art quote—it’s a lifeline for the weary heart. God doesn’t ask us to understand every detail. He simply asks us to trust Him.

The journey of foster care and adoption is uniquely marked by uncertainty, and yet it’s within that uncertainty that God calls us to walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).

Faith isn’t the absence of fear—it’s choosing to trust God while still trembling.

When we say yes to the call of fostering or adoption, we are not stepping into a perfectly laid-out plan. We are stepping into the unknown with the One who knows everything. We are anchoring our hearts not in the outcomes, but in the presence of a faithful Father.

Consider Abraham, who left everything familiar when God called him to go “to the land I will show you” (Genesis 12:1). God didn’t give him a map—He gave him a promise. And that promise was enough. Abraham didn’t know where he was going, but he knew who he was going with.

So it is with you, foster parent. Adoptive mom. Mentor. Church advocate. Former foster youth. You may not have all the answers, but you have the One who is the Answer.

He is with you at the court hearings.
He is with you in the ER when the trauma behaviors peak.
He is with you when reunification happens and your heart breaks.
He is with you when the adoption papers are signed and joy floods in.
He is with you when grief and hope wrestle in the same breath.

In every unknown, God is present. And where He is, peace can live.

So how do we live this trust out? How do we anchor our souls when the storm keeps raging?

Here are three simple steps of faith to lean into today:

1. Breathe in His Promises.
   Daily open the Word. Meditate on scriptures like Isaiah 41:10, Psalm 46:1–2, and Romans 8:28. God’s promises are more secure than any plan you could create.
   
2. Surrender Control.
   Write down the things you can’t control. Then give them to God. Say aloud, “Lord, this is Yours. I trust You with it.” Sometimes letting go is the greatest act of trust.
   
3. Cling to Community.
   Don’t walk alone. Lean into the body of Christ. Ask for prayer. Share your story. God often speaks comfort through His people.
   

You may feel overwhelmed by the unknowns in your journey. You may wonder if you’re enough, if you’re doing it right, or if God sees you. Let this truth settle into your soul:

God doesn’t call the equipped—He equips the called.
You are not alone. You are not abandoned. You are not forgotten.

He sees every tear.
He knows every fear.
And He holds your heart—and the child’s heart—with everlasting hands.

Father, in the middle of the unknown, remind me that You are known. When fear grips me, let Your love be greater. Help me to trust You when I don’t understand, to walk by faith when I cannot see, and to rest in the truth that You are always good. Strengthen every foster and adoptive family reading this today. Wrap them in Your grace, fill them with peace, and let them know You are holding their story. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

If this encouraged your heart today, take a moment to pause and thank God for walking with you through every season. Share this with another family in the trenches—you never know whose faith needs a little lift. And remember: even in the unknown, God is already there.