Saturday, March 9, 2013
Monday, January 14, 2013
Onward Christian Soldiers
I sat here today wondering what I should blog about. It has been a while since I have posted and, to be honest, it is because sometimes I feel much of what I post falls on deaf ears. So this morning, I sat staring at the blank page. I felt the need to post, but had no idea what I should be posting about. So, I prayed.....and here is what I feel God want me to say:
I get so frustrated when my fellow Christians share all of the funny things or sayings I post. They may share the occasional Bible verse or inspirational thing I post, but very few ever re-post or share my orphan pictures. How can they look at these little faces and not feel compelled to do the the easiest thing of sharing that innocent child's picture in hopes that their family finds them? Why do they not feel that tug at their heart to do something?!
My 15 year old has expressed to me that she no longer wants to hear about "my" orphans. Nor does she want me to tell her about any sad news stories that I feel compelled to discuss with her. She would not discuss the school shootings at all. She says she cannot deal with "all that sadness" and that "nobody wants to hear about it." This breaks my heart. Is this how my friends feel when I post? I wonder how many have changed my status updates on their Facebook pages to receive "ONLY IMPORTANT" updates from me, so they don't have to look at the sweet babies who are dying while waiting on a family to come save them? By the way, who decides what is important?!
I ask God, why? Why don't others feel the way I do? Why don't they want to be a voice for these children? Do they genuinely not care? Knowing many of them, I cannot believe this is could be true. Are they embarrassed of being persecuted or made fun of? Do they think I am crazy for what I do? Do they not think it is "their problem" since it is happening in another country? Could it be that they, as my daughter, don't want to have to face the sadness and reality of the world we live in? Do they not know that as Christians, we are called by God to take care of these children?
My husband once asked me how I could look at the Reece's Rainbow site all the time. Didn't it make me depressed? My response to him was, "How can I NOT look?" I will admit, there are days it may make me depressed, but not because of the children's circumstances, but because so few are helping in this fight for them! Again God, why? Why? Why?! WHY?!!!!
Ephesians 4: 1-8 "I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing forbearance to one another in love, 3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. 8 Therefore it says, "When He ascended on high, He led captive a host of captives, And He gave gifts to men."
This morning I realized that perhaps not everyone does feel this calling. God has created us all with unique gifts. He has called all of us to do different things and placed these callings on our heart. Just because not everyone feels God telling them to help these children is not a reason for me to give up or be discouraged. I am doing what I know He has called me to do. I have found a purpose to life that I never had before. I know this is what God wants me doing. I know my posts have reached others....people I did not even know were listening have felt the call. There are probably others that I do not know of. Therefore, I will stand diligently at my post, however depressing and sad to some it may seem, for I am doing God's work. To all my fellow orphan warriors I declare, "Onward christian soldiers!"
Psalm 17:4-8 I have followed your commands, which have kept me from going along with cruel and evil people. My steps have stayed on your path; I have not wavered from following you. I am praying to you because I know you will answer, O God. Bend down and listen as I pray. Show me your unfailing love in wonderful ways. You save with your strength those who seek refuge from their enemies. Guard me as the apple of your eye. Hide me in the shadow of your wings"
I get so frustrated when my fellow Christians share all of the funny things or sayings I post. They may share the occasional Bible verse or inspirational thing I post, but very few ever re-post or share my orphan pictures. How can they look at these little faces and not feel compelled to do the the easiest thing of sharing that innocent child's picture in hopes that their family finds them? Why do they not feel that tug at their heart to do something?!
My 15 year old has expressed to me that she no longer wants to hear about "my" orphans. Nor does she want me to tell her about any sad news stories that I feel compelled to discuss with her. She would not discuss the school shootings at all. She says she cannot deal with "all that sadness" and that "nobody wants to hear about it." This breaks my heart. Is this how my friends feel when I post? I wonder how many have changed my status updates on their Facebook pages to receive "ONLY IMPORTANT" updates from me, so they don't have to look at the sweet babies who are dying while waiting on a family to come save them? By the way, who decides what is important?!
I ask God, why? Why don't others feel the way I do? Why don't they want to be a voice for these children? Do they genuinely not care? Knowing many of them, I cannot believe this is could be true. Are they embarrassed of being persecuted or made fun of? Do they think I am crazy for what I do? Do they not think it is "their problem" since it is happening in another country? Could it be that they, as my daughter, don't want to have to face the sadness and reality of the world we live in? Do they not know that as Christians, we are called by God to take care of these children?
My husband once asked me how I could look at the Reece's Rainbow site all the time. Didn't it make me depressed? My response to him was, "How can I NOT look?" I will admit, there are days it may make me depressed, but not because of the children's circumstances, but because so few are helping in this fight for them! Again God, why? Why? Why?! WHY?!!!!
Ephesians 4: 1-8 "I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing forbearance to one another in love, 3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. 8 Therefore it says, "When He ascended on high, He led captive a host of captives, And He gave gifts to men."
This morning I realized that perhaps not everyone does feel this calling. God has created us all with unique gifts. He has called all of us to do different things and placed these callings on our heart. Just because not everyone feels God telling them to help these children is not a reason for me to give up or be discouraged. I am doing what I know He has called me to do. I have found a purpose to life that I never had before. I know this is what God wants me doing. I know my posts have reached others....people I did not even know were listening have felt the call. There are probably others that I do not know of. Therefore, I will stand diligently at my post, however depressing and sad to some it may seem, for I am doing God's work. To all my fellow orphan warriors I declare, "Onward christian soldiers!"
Psalm 17:4-8 I have followed your commands, which have kept me from going along with cruel and evil people. My steps have stayed on your path; I have not wavered from following you. I am praying to you because I know you will answer, O God. Bend down and listen as I pray. Show me your unfailing love in wonderful ways. You save with your strength those who seek refuge from their enemies. Guard me as the apple of your eye. Hide me in the shadow of your wings"
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
The Unhealing Wound
I am hurting so badly today for these babies. They are waiting, and waiting....some might think that they don't know where they are, and that this is the only life they know. But I know differently. I have heard too many stories of how these children call to the adoptive parents coming to get their children. They call out "Mama" and "Papa" to these complete strangers. They want so badly to be loved. I have seen them in videos reaching up from their cribs to feel the touch of human contact. Loving, caring, human contact, not just contact out of necessity to change them or feed them. They just want to be loved and cared for. I look at the pictures and their eyes stare back into mine, saying, "Please love me. Save me." I will not lie, there are days that I cannot bear to look. It hurts me to my core. Those eyes reach a place in my soul that nobody besides my own children have ever touched. Because I am a mother, and they need someone like me to be their momma. They are hurting and I have "special mommy hugs and kisses" that I yearn to give to them. But it is not my time, yet. I know when it is, God will make it happen. That is what makes it even harder to look at these sweet, pleading cherubic faces. So what am I left with? The unhealing wound. I can donate and advocate. I can see the pictures and read the stories of families in the process of adopting, or already at home loving on these babies the way they deserve. All of these things are a band-aid and a bit of salve to this gaping, bleeding, painful hurt I have for these children.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Blessings From and For Jimmy
I have never spoken to him, held him, or even seen him other than the one small picture posted on his profile. You see, Jimmy is an orphan. Abandoned. Forgotten by the very people who gave him life. He was given up because there was something "wrong" with him. He was "defective." He had Down's Syndrome so he could not possibly amount to anything, right? Well, that could not be more far from the truth! This boy was fearfully and wonderfully made! He was never forgotten or abandoned because of His beautiful Creator! This little man named Jimmy...he is teaching me things. Yes, he is but a 5 year old child, yet he is teaching this 38 year old woman things I should know by now.
"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Psalm 139:14 NIV
"For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me in." Psalm 27:10 ESV
You see, I had been struggling to trust God in my own life. He brought me to my knees so there was no where to look, but to Him. I was feeling alone and worthless, and he brought His children to my attention. He spoke to me and gave me a PURPOSE! He told me to stop feeling sorry for myself. To look at these suffering children and see how bad things were for them! He told me that He loved me and had great purpose for my life. I felt renewed with great strength. However, that strength was lacking in something....TRUST. We were suffering financially and God was telling me to help these children. I thought, "Great, now I know WHAT to do, but HOW?" How do you give what you don't have? I was ready to give up. But once again, God did not give up on me! He pushed me on telling me to "GIVE!" So I did. And guess what? We still paid our bills every month, and had everything we needed. But still, I was not trusting Him. He has provided over and over, month after month, since I began this journey, and yet I worried. How would we pay for this, and pay for that? Checking our account balance way more than my Bible. Yet, as I still struggle, God provides every single time!
"Keep your life free from the love of money, and be content with what you have, for He has said, "I will never leave you or forsake you." So we can confidently say, "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?" Hebrews 13:5-6
"Give and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you." Luke 6:38
Then I learned of the Angel Tree. Raise $1000 for a child in two months? No sweat. Yeah, right? I explained it to David, and he said ok. I knew who my favorites were, but I wanted him to be more personally involved, so I asked him to pick the child. He chose Jimmy. A child that had not caught my attention. He chose the him in rememberence of a close friend that we had that passed away too soon from cancer. James aka "Fred" and my husband shared a strong bond, and I know his passing left a huge hole in Dave's heart, so he was looking for a namesake to raise funds for. I decided not to get anxious about raising the funds for Jimmy. I had some ideas, and was excited to get them started. However, before I even could, God put it on someone's heart to donate to Jimmy. Not just a little....over $500! we are already over halfway to the goal and all I did was make some magnets (which I have only sold one!) You see, I had been doing what God said, and just giving to others without worry of how it would affect me. And he pured out His blessings! Praise Him for He is so good!
God is working on my husband and I at the same time. I believe He has even bigger plans for our future with these children. But, I think He still has work to do on us before we are where we need to be to take on the next challenge! So thank you, Jimmy, and all of these little orphans, for bringing me closer to God and teaching me love lessons I never imagined!
Saturday, October 6, 2012
Ulysses
There is a certain little guy who has stolen my heart since my first visit to the Reece's Rainbow site. There was just something about him that I was drawn to. He is Ulysses and he is in Eastern Europe. I recently posted something about him in a group page for RR. A friend of mine responded immediately that she had met him! She got to hold this sweet little man! (Can you say super jealous!)
This is the picture from his listing on Reece's Rainbow. Not a great picture, but it still tugs at my
heart. Something about him just says "hold me!" And that is just what my friend, Renee did when she met him!
See how his little arms an legs are drawn up? To some of us who have become quite familiar with these kiddos and their special needs, one might think that they are spastic. Well, Renee says she does not believe they are. She had a few moments to check him out and said they do stretch out, so believes they are just drawn up from lack of use. He is blind and spends the majority of his young life confined to a crib. Imagine what a life he could have if someone would work with him! How much differently it would be for him with a momma's love and care!
Here is the seriously tragic part of his story. He is in a baby house now. In just a little over a year and a half he will age out of this place and must be transferred. Since he is blind and cannot walk, this can mean only one thing...a mental institution. There he will have no possibility of promise. He will be put in a crib and essentially forgotten for the rest of his life.
This little man has so much potential! He could be the loving little son that someone has been searching for, a wonderful addition to any family. He deserves that and so much more. I know you may not be able to, or even have the desire to adopt. But, you can help him! First, you can pray for him! Pray that he finds a family soon, and until then, has the best life he can in the place he is in. That he feels the loving arms of God around him. Secondly, you can donate! Spend that little bit of money you would typically spend on something frivolous and do something with it that can CHANGE THIS BOY'S LIFE! Donate it toward his adoption fund!
Ulysses is in a great region to adopt from, and relatively inexpensive. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me for more information.
PLEASE, PLEASE.... SHARE THIS WITH EVERYONE SO HE WILL FIND HIS FAMILY SOON!!!!!!
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| Ulysses http://reecesrainbow.org/38123/ulysses |
heart. Something about him just says "hold me!" And that is just what my friend, Renee did when she met him!
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| Little Snugglebug! |
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| Sweet smile! |
Here is the seriously tragic part of his story. He is in a baby house now. In just a little over a year and a half he will age out of this place and must be transferred. Since he is blind and cannot walk, this can mean only one thing...a mental institution. There he will have no possibility of promise. He will be put in a crib and essentially forgotten for the rest of his life.
This little man has so much potential! He could be the loving little son that someone has been searching for, a wonderful addition to any family. He deserves that and so much more. I know you may not be able to, or even have the desire to adopt. But, you can help him! First, you can pray for him! Pray that he finds a family soon, and until then, has the best life he can in the place he is in. That he feels the loving arms of God around him. Secondly, you can donate! Spend that little bit of money you would typically spend on something frivolous and do something with it that can CHANGE THIS BOY'S LIFE! Donate it toward his adoption fund!
Ulysses is in a great region to adopt from, and relatively inexpensive. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me for more information.
PLEASE, PLEASE.... SHARE THIS WITH EVERYONE SO HE WILL FIND HIS FAMILY SOON!!!!!!
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