FOSTER CARE 28 january 2026 www.goodnewsfl.org Good news • South Florida Edition A sacred season remembered We’ve just come through one of the most meaningful seasons of the year: tables were set, prayers were prayed and bread was broken around the table. For many of us, this past holiday season wasn’t just about celebration, it was about connection, restoration and belonging. And I just want to pause and honor that. Because what we experienced together around the table wasn’t ordinary. From birthday gatherings to Thanksgiving to Christmas dinner, I found myself sitting at new tables this season, sacred spaces where healing took place, where stories were shared, where laughter made room for grief and where grief made room for grace. As we step into a new year, I pray we never lose the ministry of the table. Never lose the sacred weight of what happens when we sit down, face to face and share life with one another. And just to mark this moment, this beautiful culmination of what we've called our “Seat at the Table” journey, I want to share something I saw recently while visiting the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C. The table was there first In the center of one of the exhibits was a full mosaic floor excavated from the oldest known Christian church in Israel, dating all the way back to around 230 AD. The detail was stunning, there were thousands of tiny stones, each telling a story. Among the names preserved were women of wealth and influence, a Roman Centurion who risked his status to give generously, and others who helped build the foundation of the early Church. But what struck me most was what sat in the very middle of it all: two stones in the center of the floor created a table. Before the cross became a symbol of Christianity, before the Nicene Creed, before church buildings had pews or pulpits, there was a table. And at that table, followers of Jesus shared communion. They remembered His body, broken and His blood, poured out. They remembered the joy set before Him. From the beginning, the table has been sacred ground. Looking ahead As we close that chapter and open a new one, the world turns its attention to fresh starts. January often comes with bold intentions, new habits and resolutions. And while that’s good, I want to offer a deeper challenge for the year ahead. It comes from Hebrews 12, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders... and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith... who, for the joy set before him, endured the cross.” There’s so much in that one passage. But what’s been stirring in me is this phrase, “The race marked out for us.” Marked out means it’s already been prepared. There’s a course, a destination, a direction. You’re not running aimlessly. You’re not guessing where to go. The path is already there. And yet, so many of us forget where we’re going. We start strong, but by February we’re tired, distracted or discouraged. I think that’s because we lose sight of the finish line. We forget what the race is for. But Jesus didn’t. The joy set before him Hebrews says Jesus endured the cross, “For the joy set before him.” What was that joy? It was you. It was your restoration to the Father. It was your healing, your freedom and your eternity. That joy gave Him strength to suffer, endure and above all, press on. And as we run this new year’s race, we need that same kind of focus, not on the hustle, not on performance, but on the joy set before us. The destination and the reason we’re running at all. When we know where we’re going, we run differently. What are you running toward? If you’re unsure of what your race looks like this year, if you’ve lost sight of the goal or never fully discovered it, I want to encourage you: Spend time with God. Ask Him to show you the joy set before you. Ask Him to mark out the course you’re meant to run. It’s His delight to reveal it to you. He’s not hiding it from you; He’s waiting to share it with you. Home for every child And for us at 4KIDS, we know what we’re running toward. We’re running toward home. Not just housing. Not just placement. But the full expression of home, for every child. A place of safety, belonging, identity and healing. Whether it’s for a season or for a lifetime, we want every child to experience what it means to truly be home. And we want to equip and empower families who are willing to open their doors and become that sacred space for a child in need. Because we believe that when a child finds home, they don’t just survive, they begin to thrive. Run the race before you So as you start this year, run your race. Run it with eyes fixed on Jesus. Run it with joy ahead and gratitude behind. Run it knowing the path is already marked, and the table is already set. And wherever the road takes you, may it lead you closer to home. Running with the End in Mind - Andrew Holmes - 4KIDS President
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