Praying

My children blessed my heart greatly this week. A day after learning about a failed adoption of some sweet friends of ours, my daughter came to me in tears. She expressed, as only a child can, how unfair life is. She wanted to open up a place where children who are not adopted can grow up safely and happily without being transferred to a mental institution. Then in the next breath, she wanted to bring home every single child who needs a home (143 million!!). She wished she were older so that she could do some of these things. The uncomplicated and beautiful love of a child!

Why do we adults have to complicate things? Why can't we love like children? If someone needs a hug, they give it (even if the needer of the hug has a stinky diaper). If one of their brothers or sisters is thirsty, they don't think twice about pouring a cup of water for them (even if they couldn't quite manage the water pitcher). And when they see children who need a home, they ask me, "Mama, why don't people just adopt them?" Nothing like a child's honest question to make ya think! Why isn't it so clear-cut for adults? Perhaps because we've complicated our lives too much with things and events and plans and fears. I don't know, but I do know that the simplicity and depth of a child's love moved my heart.

So, we came up with a plan for some too-young-to-adopt-or-open-a-children's-home children to actively help orphans in profound ways. They went to Reece's Rainbow's website and wrote down the names of several of the children. They then transferred the names onto a prayer chart, with some children to be prayed for on Sundays, another group on Mondays, etc. Every day of the week they have a list of children to pray for, and they take this job very seriously.

Why is it that we adults can look at pictures of children who need homes and then shut down the computer without thinking twice about them? Whereas children see the faces and think of the LIFE behind the picture on the screen. They imagine how it feels to be alone in that crib at night. They worry that these precious orphans will be afraid during thunder storms (my youngest son still prays for his sister to not be afraid of thunder storms even though she has been home from the orphanage for 4 months...he just sympathized with her for so many months as he thought of her in that bed alone). Lord, please give us the eyes of children and let us enter into the suffering of these orphans!

PRAYING is the big thing. Any of us can pray, and it's a profound way to help these children. Really, who else is praying for them? What a mighty work we can do right in our own homes...lifting up these children to God! I was thrilled that my children had this idea. The Holy Spirit gave them a burden for other children, and then He was faithful to give them an outlet to lift that burden to Him, the Father of the fatherless. I want desperately for them to always go to Him for all their needs, and what an incredible blessing to see them go to Him on behalf of others too. Warms this Mama's heart!