Saturday, January 15, 2011

Broken for the Injustice

I just want to cry. This morning we went to the Crippled Children’s Home here in Chiang Mai with the Abba House girls, the New Life men, an awareness team from Australia, and a group of supporters from America. With a team of just over 50 we spent but a few hours doing skits, playing games and overall just loving on the children there. Upon arriving I was “claimed” by a young boy whose foot had not grown properly. He came running up to me, almost crawling because of the disablement, and collapsed into my legs. Scooping him up on my hip I spent the next 2 hours with him wrapped around me or sitting on my lap. It didn’t matter that we couldn’t understand each other, all that mattered was that I held him close. That I cared enough to hold him, to not look at him with distain but with love and showing him how valuable he was.
He wasn’t the only one, another little boy with disfigured legs, a teenaged girl whose legs were but nubs, a young boy who was stuck in a wheel chair, many with a mental disability of sorts that just caused a disfigurement or inability to communicate properly. Each one was beautiful, each one with thoughts their own, all knew what joy it was to have someone touch them, someone to hold them and to treat them to an orange. Before we left one of the workers came to thank us for coming saying they do not often have visitors or treats from “outside” and asking us to come back. Following him a representative of the kids, in a wheel chair and unable to carry out normal body movement, thanked us as well saying how much they loved us.
This really got me. These kids are thrown out and considered worthless to their culture because of something they could not control. A problem in growth, a lazy eye, hands whose fingers didn’t grow, a clubbed foot, oversized head, anything and everything not “normal” gave reason for them to be illegitimate and cast aside. This breaks my heart. Most of them could speak, several of them were in line waiting for the phone and a chance to call out, their joy and the urgency that they desired us to hold them, or just to touch them and say hello – nothing else mattered but to be loved. They loved having their pictures taken and would ask for us to take them and then show them over and over again. As everyone sat together and watched the skits all I could think about was praying for each of them. So as the last hour passed the only thought and desire of my heart was for the healing of these kids. Not just physically, but that they would know the Father's embrace and how much He loves them.
They are worth God sending His ONLY son to die – just to give them life. Their value is priceless. He loves them just as much as He loves “normal” kids. And His heart’s desire is to be made known to them just how precious they are. My heart is crying for these kids and as we pulled away I couldn’t help but feel the overwhelming love God has for each of them.


After we came back, we were watching a movie with the girls here at Abba House and a scene came up that had a man saying something suggestive and then just going towards the main character - the way the girls reacted broke my heart. Even before the man went towards them they were all shaking their heads with fear for her. [not to worry, nothing actually happened in the movie] They shouldn't know the discomfort of that situation. These are 8-13 year old girls. This past week we've heard more of what each of these girls have gone through and the stories are hear wrenching. It stuns me how immoral and cruel people can be to children - The Lord will have justice. That is what can keep you going in a ministry like this, knowing that He will justify that which has happened to these jewels. Every time I hear more about the girls, the little boy that's here, the New Life guys or other stories the world becomes less appealing. I have found myself becoming homesick for heaven in the last couple weeks. The presence of His love the only thing fulfilling and spreading that glorious Love the only thing worthwhile. I long for Eden to be restored.


Psalm 100 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!

Know that the Lord, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!

For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.


Love Always

No comments:

Post a Comment