Trauma—we have all experienced trauma, both little ones like when you lose your keys and you must be at an appointment in the next few minutes, to big ones like the loss of a loved one who was close to you. We all struggle with how to deal with trauma in our lives. Children in state custody live with practically daily trauma. They are taken from their home, and no matter how dysfunctional it seems to other people, it is home. For those who left home to go to college remember the pain in the pit of your stomach when you were driving away that first day? Imagine when someone comes in and takes you away from all you know. Then there are strangers who are now the parents. They talk different, they act different, they have all these strange rules. Once you get past all this new way of life, you must go to court to talk to people about what you never were supposed to tell. The secrets that have been hidden for years are discussed in front of strangers and your parents are looking at you in disgust. This is life as a foster child.

I worked for over twenty years with children in foster care. I also have adopted two children and was both a foster parent and guardian over relatives so I have a lot of experience in this area. The one common thread is how getting them into church and helping them find God’s love for them is of the utmost importance. They feel they will never be loved and God shows the love that is above all loves and can help them learn of forgiveness.

I retired in 2018 and began to write books not about any child I have had contact with, but how God dealt with the trauma in these children’s lives. I wanted people to know that no matter what happened God is there and he can see us through it all. I have seen the worst that mankind can do, but I also have seen the best that God can give. So, I began writing and have published books on Amazon. I will be talking about other kinds of trauma and specific books in future articles, but I always want people to know that it will get better and God is in control.

Pamela Keene has a master’s in education from the University of Tennessee and is retired from the State of Tennessee Department of Children’s Services after 28 years of service. She currently lives with her mother in Oak Ridge, TN where she writes Christian books about learning of God’s love and publishes them through Amazon.