"For Whosoever shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me" - Matt 18:5
My mind has been filtering through all that I've seen. I have been contemplating this
post for days. Let me back-up before I begin.
During the last year, I have been immensely blessed by a song titled, "Hosanna." It has amazing lyrics throughout, but the bridge always moved my heart. It goes: "Heal my heart and make it clean. Open up my eyes to the things unseen. Show me how to love like you have loved me. Break my heart for what breaks yours - everything I am for your kingdom's cause. As I walk from Earth into eternity."
Each time I heard these lyrics, my eyes welled up with tears. I could never pin-point why God wanted me to hear these lyrics. Now I know.
Two days ago we visited the orphanage where Wei-J lived before he was matched with foster parents. It is center specifically for special needs little ones. Some of them have cleft palette, downs syndrome, some are blind, while others have minor differences such as a birthmark. Regardless of why they're there, their little bodies are in the orphanage because someone didn't want them. My nephew was left on the street by his birth mother. Someone didn't want that smiling brilliant young guy because of a minor physical difference.
S-I-L knew that we could bring candy for the kids, so Shu Shu and I handed out starbursts to all these little ones. (From Pre-k to around 7 or 8). I almost couldn't keep my eyes from spilling over. I sucked it in, because I wanted to share the candy with a loving face - not crying. As I dropped the square candy into each little hand, I said a prayer that God would find them a loving home.
I wasn't sad because the orphanage was so crummy... in fact, it was great. A charity called, "Half the Sky" supports developmentally appropriate conditions. All the little ones were engaged in really great activities, and the older ones were making Christmas ornaments for a craft day to support the orphanage. Still - my heart was breaking. "Break my heart for what breaks yours - everything I am for your kingdom's cause" That's it.
Looking at these hands I feel a new responsibility. My heart breaks for the little ones who are cast aside. There are no fancy pictures, no cute snapshots, just a precious image forever burned in my mind.
I'm so not sure where this is leading me... probably back to China is a few years.
1 comment:
The scripture that comes to my mind is out of Proverbs 3: "A man devises his way but the Lord directs his steps." This trip was prayed for and planned but God led you there to show you these things as well. HIS revelation is for you, for now and for your ministry. It will impact you in a way that you will never forget and it will add to your already awesome ministry. I'm so glad you shared this with all of us. It makes you think of all the children (even here) that are cast away because of any imperfection. So glad that Jesus didn't cast me away for my imperfections. But it does make you look at things from a different perspective, it is one of the reasons that I/we want to teach--God is great and greatly to be praised!!
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