There was a time when my heart was filled with anger and a deep desire for justice-when the hurt felt unbearable and my first instinct was to fight back in every way possible. I wanted those who hurt my daughter to face consequences, to pay for what they had done. 

While out in town on a special day for my oldest foster daughter, I got a call from her caseworker. The court that day had not went the way I had hoped, the opposite actually. One of her abusers were getting off with dropped charges. My heart sank. I wanted to drive to the city the city they lived in and make them pay. 

But in the midst of that storm, a verse kept coming to me again and again: “Vengeance is mine; I will repay, says the Lord” (Romans 12:19). It reminded me that some battles are not mine to fight. 

I realized that my place was not behind bars, consumed by anger and revenge. My place was at home, present with my daughter- holding her, loving her, and being the safe harbor she needed.  

Choosing presence over vengeance wasn’t easy. It meant surrendering my pain to God’s hands and trusting His justice. It meant showing up, day after day, to walk beside her through healing and hope.  

If you’re facing deep hurt or injustice today, know this: you don’t have to carry the weight alone. God sees, He knows, and He is the ultimate judge. Your strength to be present- to love fiercely despite it all- is all powerful testimony of faith.