Sunday, November 4, 2012

Take a Second Look

Just about every night when we tuck the kids in, or during our Bible time in the afternoon, the kids and I pray for some of the kids we love who are listed on Reece's Rainbow.  We all have our "favorites" and the kids won't let me forget if we haven't prayed for our boys that day.  The long running faves are (in no particular order..):


Heath (duh),
Heath

Hanson 
(almost definitely spends all of his days in a crib),

Hanson


Sasha 
(Sasha was recently transferred to the Lost Boys, so he's an automatic "in"),

Sasha
and last, but certainly not least,

Aiden 
(the Reece's Rainbow baby of my heart).

Aiden

Aiden is so beautiful.  If we could adopt right now Jed would be hard-pressed to keep me away from Aiden.  My heart aches with love for him.  If you are interested in adopting Aiden please know that you have a huge fan and cheerleader in me!  Heath, Hanson, and Sasha all live at The Lost Boys institution that Jed and I visited in April.  That place, and the boys that live there have been firmly rooted in our hearts.  They are the ones God used to tug at our hearts, and now look how far we've been tugged!  :)

Although my kids love to pray for their boys, I didn't really know how much they truly understood about it all.  "All" being the orphan crisis, Reece's Rainbow, mental institutions, disabled children, abandoned babies...I mean, it's a lot to handle.  It's a lot to grasp and I have always wondered if the praying was something they did because it is truly important to them, or if they just know it is what our family does.  We do orphans.  We do Reece's Rainbow.  We do Lost Boys.  We do abandoned babies.  I want them to get it as much as they are developmentally able, because we are changing everything about our lives for that call. 

Well, I don't need to wonder any longer.  This week they got it.

Remember we visited our friends Ben and Melanie last weekend?  They have 5 awesome kids and one of them just happens to mean just a little something extra special to us.  Their son Judd was adopted from "The Lost Boys" institution that we visited in April.  That is the very place where Heath, Hanson, and Sasha currently live. When Ben and Melanie visited us in July we told the kids all about Judd and where he came from.  But I see now that they didn't really understand.


A couple nights ago we were tucking in for bed and praying for our boys.  We prayed for Heath and I mentioned to the kids how awesome it will be when Heath has a family just like Judd does now.  "Remember that Judd used to be a Lost Boy like Heath?" I reminded the kids.

Wide eyes all around.  "Judd used to be a Lost Boy?  What do you mean Mommy?"
"Judd lived where Heath, Hanson, and Sasha live until Ben and Melanie adopted him."
"Was Judd on Reece's Rainbow???"
"Yes, he was on Reece's Rainbow and his name was Brady."

First thing the next morning we were on Reece's Rainbow looking up Judd's old picture.

Judd, aka "Brady"

  The kids were in shock.  I could see the light bulbs going off like crazy.  That little sweetie staring back at the camera was Judd.  Judd who they had just played with and hugged.  Judd who they had just argued with and tattled on (haha, let's be real here), :) Judd who is now a brother, son, friend. 

Judd in the Lost Boys institution during the adoption process

 In that moment I knew that my kids understood what many people fail to understand, or don't want to understand.

These are real children.  These are real lives.  These are children created with a purpose and a destiny.  God has plans for them, and His plans are good.

Judd and Daddy at the Institution

Heath is not just the little boy in the pink chair.  Hanson is not just the little boy in the hideous pink and purple outfit.  They are little boys with purpose and destiny- created in the image of God.

Judd and Mama, at the institution

Just like Judd.

This September, first day of school!

Today on Orphan Sunday I ask you to take another look at our boys.  Look past the clothes, look past the disability, look past the "orphan" label.  Look at the child.  Look at the life and the potential just waiting to bust out.  Look with eyes of hope.

At our house getting some cuddles from Mama

As you look, pray.  Be quiet.  Be still and simply ask the Lord how He would like you to respond.  It is true that not everyone is called to adopt, but everyone is called to respond to the orphan and the widow in some way. (James 1:27)

We can all do something.  We can pray, we can give financially, we can give support through friendship, we can foster, we can adopt, we can love on the widow who spends her days sitting alone in the nursing home...

We can all be the hands and feet of Jesus on this earth. 

Judd and Mama, 3 weeks ago

It may be uncomfortable and it will most definitely be stretching. 

But I promise it will be worth it.



Just ask Judd.


For more information on any of the boys listed in this post click on their names and you will be directed to their Reece's Rainbow profile.  Feel free to email or leave a comment with any questions.  I'd be happy to talk your ear off about any of this!  :) 






















12 comments:

  1. Garrison is who I want. I absolutely love him. I feel very strongly that I could be his mama.

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    1. Really Crystal? I'll be praying for your Mama heart. He is beautiful.

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  2. Oh my heart. Your beautiful words are tugging on it. I just sent this post to Chris and will be sharing it with others as well. You are being His hands just in sharing these words. Love you, friend.

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    1. Thanks for your encouragement. :) Love you too, mucho!

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  3. EXCELLLLENT POST.... and not just because that`s our Boy, God`s Boy... But because it is a true example to ALLLL Of us! We should be doing it and we should be raising up our littles teaching them to care.

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    1. But, you gotta admit your boy is pretty stinkin' adorable...hmmmm?

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  4. Very well written Kim. My heart is overflowing with all sorts of emotion as I read this. As Curtis and I get ready to embark on our journey to our new son, I am reminded that it was because of you and so many others that took the time to advocate for these orphans that we found our son. Thank you. We can't wait for you to wrap your arms around one more child that is an "orphan no more"!

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    1. Sara! You are so close!!! What a special time of life you're in right now. It's almost delivery day... treasure the days. :)

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  5. So well done. So true. They are just little children. Just little boys.

    Sue H.

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    1. It's easy to forget. Even for we who love them so dearly. Praying for each little boy today, that Jesus will bring him joy and peace while he waits for his Mommy and Daddy.

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  6. Oh love the way you have put it! Yes people need to look past all the labels & see them all as little boys in need of a family... i'm so happy that your kids now understand that... i wish i could help my boy to understand too... he too prays every night for the orphans. i'm hoping to bring him on a short-term mission to U next year or the year after or whenever God gives us the opportunity to...

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  7. Oh yes, people need to look past the labels & see these boys as boys needing a family to love them... i'm so glad that your kids get it now... i wish there was some way for me to show my little boy the reality of it... he too prays for the orphans every night but how much he understands?? i'm hoping to be able to bring him with me when i visit U in a couple of years... or when God gives me an opportunity to...

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