FOSTER CARE 22 DECEMBER 2025 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition A season of anticipation Can you believe Christmas is almost here? We’ve walked together through the beauty of the table this year, first as a thin space, then as a place of giving and receiving, and most recently, a place where we wrestle with the ache of what’s missing. And now, in December, we arrive at the crescendo: the most sacred table. But before we get there, we must sit in something Advent invites us to consider: waiting. Not just waiting as in sitting still but anticipating. There’s a difference between the two. Waiting can be passive. Anticipation is active. It’s hopeful. It leans forward with expectation, even when you don’t know when, or how, the promise will come. And that’s exactly where we find ourselves in the Christmas story. The longest wait For thousands of years, the world waited for the Messiah. Prophets spoke of Him. Scripture pointed toward Him. A Wonderful Counselor, a Prince of Peace was coming. But generation after generation passed, and still, they waited. And yet… not all waited the same. Some sat quietly, unsure if God would truly act. Others watched with holy expectation, convinced He would move. The closer someone was to the heart of God, the more their anticipation grew; Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, and more, they were all watching. They were all listening. And when Jesus arrived, fully God, fully man, they recognized Him. Because they had made room for Him in their hearts long before the world ever would. Making room The irony, of course, is that when Jesus did come, the world had no room for Him. Quite literally. There was no room at the inn. And yet, what we see over and over again in His life and ministry is the opposite: Jesus always made room. He welcomed the outsider. He touched the leper. He told stories about Samaritans and shepherds and feasts where everyone had a seat. Even in the hours before His death, Jesus was still doing what He always did — making space. Not in a temple. Not in a crowd. But at a table. The most sacred table It was there, at a simple table, that Jesus gathered His disciples one last time. He washed their feet. He received their friendship. He grieved their betrayals. And then He broke the bread and poured the wine and established something entirely new. The Old Covenant Passover meal became the New Covenant Communion. And in that moment, the table became the most sacred place of ministry we’ve ever known. Think about that: God chose a table, not a temple, as the setting for one of the most important acts in all of human history. It was around a table that heaven met earth in the most intimate, most vulnerable, and most redemptive way possible. A 4KIDS table at Christmas For the families in the 4KIDS community, this idea of sacred tables isn’t theoretical — it’s real. Day after day, foster and adoptive parents set the table for children who didn’t know if they’d ever be welcome at one again. Some of these children arrive grieving. Some arrive guarded. Some have never sat at a table as part of a family. But over time, through the ordinary and the sacred, these tables become places of belonging. And this is especially true at Christmas. We’ve seen families bring new traditions to life: setting an extra seat for a biological parent, lighting Advent candles together, sharing one thing they love about each other before the meal begins. These are more than just gestures. They are echoes of the most sacred table, where love is given, received, remembered. Where Jesus is made known not just through words, but through presence. And it’s not just happening for kids already in foster care. Through CarePortal, we’re seeing tables and families preserved before they ever fall apart. When a family is one crisis away from losing everything — a missed paycheck, an empty pantry, a child without a bed — CarePortal allows the Church to show up, with groceries, cribs, meals and a lifeline. Especially this time of year, when pressures rise and resources run thin, these acts of love are holding families together. Because whether it’s welcoming someone new to your table, or making sure no one loses theirs, we believe every table can be made sacred when Jesus is in the midst of it. A challenge for Christmas So here’s my invitation to you this season: Would you see your own table, however messy, quiet, crowded, or simple, as sacred? Would you set it not just with plates and silverware, but with anticipation? Anticipation that Jesus might meet you there. Anticipation that healing could begin there. Anticipation that someone else might find their place at your table, too. Because Christ has come. He is here. And just like He once made room for us, we now get to make room for others. A table of remembrance This Christmas, don’t miss what’s happening right in front of you. Not just the celebration of Jesus’ birth, but the birth of the sacred table we’re invited to sit at, over and over again. A place where we remember Him not just with our minds, but with our whole hearts. A place where grief, joy, tradition, and transformation all mingle in one holy, beautiful meal. A place where heaven still touches earth. This December, may your table reflect the One who made room for you. And may it become the most sacred table you’ve ever known. Since September 2024, Andrew Holmes has been serving as the President of 4KIDS--a ministry that provides Hope, Homes, and Healing to kids and families in crisis. Learn more and catch the vision of a home for every child at 4KIDS.us. The Most Sacred Table - Andrew Holmes - 4KIDS President
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