Our pastor, Brother David, showed this picture yesterday during service of a starving African baby girl being stalked by a vulture as she searched for food. I haven't been able to get the image out of my head. Words can't even describe the emotions it stirs up in me. Not the "ohhhhh, poor baby" emotions like many might feel. But the pure ANGER the picture brings me. The anger that this is a reality in Africa and in many other countries around the world. The GUILT it brings to me as just last week Jason and I were sitting around dreaming of someday owning a bigger house, maybe on some land, maybe even with a pool. And guilt knowing that right now my fridge needs a major cleaning out of all the wasted food sitting in there. And here this poor baby can't even lift her head while dragging herself around looking for crumbs! But mostly, it brings me SADNESS. Sadness as I know that our Father in Heaven looked down on that child, as He does all the other starving babies, and it breaks His heart. Just as if Aidan, Hannah or Houston were starving and nobody was helping them - how I would weep knowing that there are people that could help, and they just DON'T. Can you even IMAGINE how it must break God's heart to see this? To know that this child He created in HIS IMAGE is going to die hungry, all alone?
I thank God for breaking my heart for what breaks His. I thank Him for opening my eyes to the plight of the orphans. I thank him especially for showing me what COULD happen if we didn't bring Macy home. She could starve. She could get sick and die. She could survive her toddler years only to make it into childhood with little hope of an education. She could be sold into slavery or prostitution. She could be raped. Even if she made it into young adulthood, her life expectancy would be very small. With little medical care and the number of Ethiopian women that die during childbirth, her outlook wouldn't be good. The future doesn't look good for many little Ethiopian girls.
But Jason and I are going to change that. We are going to give her the love she deserves. The medical care she needs. And the hope of Jesus who loves that precious baby even more than we ever can. And we are going to do all of that with YOUR help. THANK YOU so much for all of you who have donated money, bought t-shirts, helped with yard sales, and offered up prayers for our growing family. Thanks for helping us change the future of one little girl.
