Caring For The Orphan
Written by Lauren Pavlasek, published June 2022.
Throughout college in Austin, as I came to fall in love with Jesus, I knew I wanted a career where I could help people. The Lord grew a deep passion in me for kids, specifically those in vulnerable situations. Through internships and volunteering, I landed a job at a Child Advocacy Center in Austin, TX. I sat with vulnerable and scared kids as they waited to go into a forensic interview to tell trained adults what type of abuse they had endured so that justice could be served.
I’ll never forget playing UNO with a child who had experienced severe physical abuse and watching the lice crawl through her scalp as she waited for her turn to go back. She was quiet and gentle and seemed so small and fragile. I remember looking at her and praying that God would take her pain away. Despite her fears and all the horrible things she had been through, she was kind and brave. The resilience of the children I worked with was shocking and worthy of praise.
Working in child welfare has been a humbling experience from the beginning. I have seen firsthand the devastation and brokenness that plagues our city. From sexual abuse to child trafficking, severe abuse and neglect to children witnessing homicides, there is real and tangible evidence for the Enemy, and likewise, real and tangible evidence for redemption in Jesus.
My husband and I moved to Fort Worth after we were married. I currently work for CASA of Tarrant County, where we train volunteers to advocate for children who are currently in foster care in our community. Our volunteers come from all walks of life, all career types, and all sorts of educational backgrounds. We train them, equip them, and support them as they provide consistency amidst the chaos of the foster care system. I have seen the peace that volunteers are able to provide kids during their time in foster care. Our CASA Volunteers visit the child in their foster home, attend court hearings, check in with the child at school, and assure that their needs are being met. They do all of this–not because they must–but because they want to. They do this because they care. They care about the family’s future, the child’s future, and restoring dignity to the biological parents.
Our volunteers are the most consistent figure in the child’s life while they are in foster care. Most kids bounce from 3-4 different foster homes in the span of a year. Caseworkers have a high turnover rate, their teachers at school are changing, friends are changing, and most of the adults in their life are unreliable. A CASA Volunteer remains consistent and committed throughout the duration of the case. They model Jesus to the children that they work with by reminding them “no matter where you move to, what school you change to, or what the outcome of your case is, you can count on me to be there.” They restore value and worth to the kids on their case through showing up and speaking up for justice. Whether it be advocating for therapy, listening to the child cry about the trauma they have been through, or working towards reunification with biological parents, our volunteers are changing lives by simply showing up when others won’t.
I see Jesus in our CASA Volunteers and the way they care for vulnerable children. Jesus is a just God. He’s consistent. He’s caring. He restores dignity. He instills value. He gets into the trenches with us when we are hurting. He steps into the chaos instead of turning a blind eye. He sacrifices for us. He forgives when we make mistakes. He is patient when we are suffering. He advocates for our well-being. He does not leave us when things get difficult.
The church has constantly been a place of service for organizations like CASA. At The Paradox Church, our congregation of partners care deeply for the orphan, but often we don’t quite know where to go with our righteous anger or willingness to help. Consider giving your time to the children in our community who need an advocate. You will likely find yourself more humbled, more refined, and more in awe of your need for Jesus than ever before.