Fatherless Generation

I just finished reading a book called RECKLESS FAITH, that my friend had given me before leaving the states.  It is about a missionary in Mexico and her journey to a family of 9 children, 3 by birth, the rest either foster or adoptive, and her experiences working in orphanages in Mexico.  It stirred up all my emotions of our adoption/foster care process, and even now, caring for a daughter that the Lord has put us with for this time.

But before I share on that, here are some pictures from our first weeks with Erika...when we were blessed to go to DisneyWorld and Lee did a wedding on an island in Florida.  It was a dream.  Look at all that squishiness (of Erika), and perfectness, and how quickly she was bonded to our family...this is just within weeks of knowing Erika.  The Lord was so amazing to provide this time, preplanned for over a year before, to allow our family to bond.  And I was living my dream come true with THREE very precious gifts from the Lord.

Reading this story of adoptions, I could so relate.  It is so neat how God does this special thing in your heart.  Erika is my daughter.  She was the first time I met her.  God put a place in my heart before I knew her just for her.  I remember the first time she had a very painful experience and she ran to me and called me MAMA the first time.  I just held her and comforted her and cried, because she already knew I was there to comfort her.  And she still runs to me.  And I still love to comfort her.  And am so thankful that I am the only Mommy she has ever known.

But this book was just a reminder that I can't solve the orphan crisis.  My quiver is full.  I have what I can handle.  And I need to pour into the children I have.  And do what I can do with what He has given me.  Live one day at a time.  But it was a reminder for me to pray for those who are orphaned and pray for divine interventions for those children to be found by the right parents.  To be safe and loved.  Every child deserves to be loved by a family.

Even the situation of our home.  When I first found out that the Lord was setting us up to care for a teenage girl, I thought of how Lea was preparation for that.  To make me be willing and to know it was something I could handle with God's help.  Now, Winnie is not just some girl.  Now, I know her and love her and care for her.  I want to make her feel special and loved, like all of my children.  Winnie has parents, but now they are far away, so I am her mother, in a sense.  And God has put us in this home, not by chance.  He has put us here to pour into her spiritually.  And it is a day by day process.  It is slow.   And sometimes hard, but worth it.

There are so many out there, either without physical parents, but mostly without spiritual parents.  Please join with me to be open and pray for the Lord to connect the fatherless with those who are mature in the Lord.