Sunday Snapshot - The Burden

Tonight as every night, there are children on my heart...

tonight, however, my heart feels heavier and burdened a bit more than other nights. 

Why tonight, I don't know for sure.  I have my suspicions but the reason does not matter because I do know that the Lord is the one who placed this burden on my heart so very long ago and it is the Lord who has prompted this post tonight.

Of course my heart is full for my own children who are all at this very moment peacefully sleeping in their warm, safe beds dreaming of what tomorrow will bring and every tomorrow after that.  They have dreams and hopes and a future.

but tonight the children who are on my heart are all those beautiful, precious children who wait

who have no hopes

who have no dreams

who have no future

who have no family.

These waiting kiddos are on my advocacy site but y'all they are only a small fraction, a "snapshot" of the children around the world who might never, ever know the love of a family or worse, will be preyed upon and victimized by the evil that is a part of our fallen world.

It - breaks - my - heart.

I think of my children who are surrounded by love, who are surrounded by family, who are protected and cherished and who know that they matter, that they have a purpose in this life.

and then on nights like tonight, my thoughts and my heart turn to Evie with the wonderful impish grin

who wants to be a doctor but will  never be a doctor in China.

and Cherrie who was abandoned when she was 4 years old - 4 years old! 

She "sings to the young children in the institute songs she learned. She likes most to sing the 'Mama hao' (good mother) song and can keep her clothes neat and clean even after one or two days."  One or two days.

and Allie who is listed as having "blind eyes."

This is what her caregivers wrote about her, "Lovely Allie can not see the colorful world now, but her physiological defect does not influence her personality development. We can still hear her sweet laugh every day, see her active body. We sincerely wish her to have opportunity to see the light and have parents loving her and staying with her, sharing with her the warm and happiness of a family."

and Tiana whose plea to her hopeful family is, "I like you if you like me? Although I am not perfect, still sing and dance, Everyone says, standing on the stage I laugh very beautiful"  

Her wish:  "To go out to play."  Sigh!

and Tessa who, "when younger siblings fall down or are in danger she will call aunt loudly to stop that happen. She is like an angel, protects younger siblings, but this angel lost her wings" 

Tessa has arthrogryposis and has limited use of her arms. 

and Wendy who is described as, "an active little girl, happy and curious, sweet smiles on her face all the time."

When asked if she would like to be adopted, she replied, "I would like a family. I would like to be fostered (adopted) and I want my own father and mother."

and Monica who has spina bifida and has lived at the SWI for about 2 years, since her aging grandparents could no longer care for her.

She is described as "smart, though a little behind in school; she is a big sister to the younger children at the orphanage; and she loves Jesus." 

and Mason who is slowly going blind and there is nothing that can be done about it

"He loves being active with his foster brothers, and has a great sense of humor. He likes playing sports, and also enjoys going to school."  I pray he finds his family while he can still see them.

and sweet Noah whose foster sister was just adopted

This little boy was very sad when his foster sister recently left to be adopted. His foster sister is 7 years old and they were best friends. The sweet little adopted girl also misses him and has been told her that her new mama will try and find him a family. 

and wonderful Drew who has Cerebral Palsy and cannot walk without crutches

when asked what he liked to do, he replied, "that he liked to play racquetball.  The nannie asked, ‘How do you do that with your crutches?’ and he told her that he used to play it before he had to use his crutches.  Drew dreams of playing racquetball but never has.  My heart aches for him to be able to realize his dream, to be able to play like every other child.

Please, please take a moment to pray for these wonderful waiting children whose greatest wish in life is just to be loved, to have a family, to have a Momma and a Daddy to walk them to school and tuck them in at night, to be there for them when they fall and to praise them when they succeed.

Pray for their families to answer that call.  Pray for their families to bring them home!

To read more Sunday Snapshots please go here,