Walking the tightrope...

For six weeks, I have had an extra son. A family in our church is crumbling before our eyes and it seems that nothing we say is helping.

They are a blended family- married for over ten years. She brought a boy and a girl into the marriage and so did he. The kids grew up together- they are all teenagers now with the youngest girl (his) in the eighth grade and the oldest son (hers) is a junior. For all intents and purposes, they looked like the Brady Bunch.

But they weren't.

Six weeks ago, the youngest girl accused the oldest boy of repeatedly molesting her from the time she was seven years old. She told the school librarian, who took her straight to the principal who went straight to social services and the police.

That was when the Brady Bunch turned into "mine" and "yours". The first night, mom brought the son over to our home- he was angry- she was in shock- and asked if he could stay with us. We said, "Of course" without thinking twice. We know and love the family and all of the kids.

He has been with us, as I said, for six weeks. Through the social services investigation in which the girl clammed up and refused to repeat her story. Through multiple counselors- for the boy, the girl, the marriage... it's been a high-anxiety, stress-filled mess to be in the middle of. They have received differing advice as to whether the son can come back into the home with his step-sister who accused him. The fighting between the families is dirty.

Both parents are trying to do the best for their child... I get that... but neither is compromising or thinking of the other child (or their spouse). Dad doesn't think the girl is lying... Mom doesn't think there's any way it happened and refuses to bring her son back into the home so she can protect him- but she's still been living at home at her husband's insistance.

Our role in this has been like walking a tightrope- trying to be there and offer sound advice to both parents and a bunch of hurting kids... emotionally exhausting. Not to mention having to keep track of another kid. Mom and Dad both want to think we are on "their" side. It's been so hard to stay neutral. My husband and I have a pretty firm opinion on whether or not anything really happened- but only two people will know for sure until somebody confesses to either lying or committing the acts.

Yesterday, mom got an apartment to move into with her kids. So, two kids have lost another mom, and two have lost another dad. The situation seems impossible. I know that nothing is too hard for God... but this is going to take a miracle.

I'm praying for one.