Peace of the Children
"And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’"
This long post starts with an essay of sorts which I wrote well over a year ago. I had thought about posting it before, but lately thinking about Elizabeth working with the children in the orphanage in Peru, I was reminded of it. (For those of you who don't know her, if you've read my previous posts, I have referred to Elizabeth before. This is her blog if you would like to know more.) So, here it is, slightly edited.
I have six children, all girls. Many of you know this, for like any parent, I enjoy talking about my children. But for those of you who didn't know, yes, you read that correctly. The oldest is probably five years younger than I, though I don't know exactly. I only saw her for a few days several years ago-almost five now.
When questioned as to how I could have children so close in age to mine while unmarried (not to mention the fact that they are all black), I did not know what to say. However, I figured it out. They adopted me. And they did.
The first girl was from a VBS I helped at in downtown Toledo. She started calling me 'Mama' the second day, I think. She didn't like when I wasn't beside her, and once when I reprimanded her for acting up, she said, "See, that's why you have to stay with me, Mama. I do that stuff when you aren't with me."
I did not aquire another child for about two years. When our Kid's Club started up again in 2009, one girl named Kyra was very happy to see us again. I think my neice Jada (yes, I have two nieces) began it. She told my then-thirteen-year-old sister that she was her mother. "I am not," Melody said. "Yes," Jada said, "you're my Kid's Club mom." Kyra told me I was hers. So it was for several months. Once Kyra wasn't allowed to come to Kid's Club because of bad grades. Jada made her come in. "Say hi to your mother!" she ordered. Kyra came in, but she wouldn't look me in the eye.
A younger girl had been attatched to me the previous year named Ka'Nia. That year she usually sat on my lap, ocassionally falling into an exhausted sleep, and sometimes Kyra would look at us out of the corner of her eye and then ignore me. "You're my mama!" she grumbled, jealous, I think.
Thankfully she seemed to get over that, for in the next year, Ka'Nia decided I was her mom too. I was not surprised-I was suprised she hadn't earlier. One week I thought she had called me mom, and the next week I was sure. "Mom! Mom! Mom!" she would yell, running into the gym. Who is she talking to? I would wonder. Then I remembered: she was talking to me.
A funny little girl named Albany adopted me next. She was quieter about it, and though I know you aren't supposed to have favorites, I just love Albany. She is funny and sweet and not as demanding as some of the others. When her younger sister found out, she decided I was hers too, so I got Vicky, the youngest. At the end of the year, a girl who had come to Kid's Club when she was younger found out about this and said, "She's my mom too."
Having children makes you think, even if you don't really have children. I'm not sure that all of them would even remember adopting me as their mom, but there's a special attachment, even if...you know. Sometimes I wish they really could be part of my family. These children's lives are so hard, so full of pain and trouble I cannot imagine, and this without, often, the stabilizing comfort of God and the Savior. Living as a Christian is hard for us-imagine living it alone, without the benefit of a good church and godly parents, friends, and mentors.
Which is why things like Kid's Club are so important. Perhaps this is the only reverent mention of God they hear in a week. Maybe it's the only time they hear God's Word or see the example of a faithful Christian.
So if you are helping in a Kid's Club (or anything else serving children), I want to encourage you. Don't become bogged down in weekly duties, in trying to control rowdy children. "Do not grow weary in doing good." Who knows what eternal rewards you will reap.
If you are not engaged in this work, I urge you to do so if you can. What more important thing do you have to do than bring the gospel to these little ones? Especially if you are a young man. These boys need to see that religion and singing are not sissy and see godly men they can look up to which, in the absence of a real father, they often don't have.
When I wrote that in 2010, I never really finished it. It reminds me of a song I heard for the first time recently. Listen to it; it's thought-provoking. It made me sad, thinking of the kids.
I wrote something a year ago which I wasn't going to share, but I thought it might be an encouragement to some of you, so I shall. It's really a song, so it may not read well.
You'll Know Enough
I was seventeen
You may have been nine
Excited to meet again
You hugged me and called me mama
I didn't know your age
Nor your middle name
I don't know your interests
Or where you go to church
Or if you have siblings
But I know enough
I know Jesus
I know you need Him
I know you're beautiful
And I know I love you
You don't know my age
You don't know my church
You don't know my interests or friends
You don't even know my name
To you, I am just mama
You know enough
You know I love Jesus
You know I want you to obey
And, I think, you know that I love you
'Cause you said, you're my mama
I don't know why you gave me this role
I don't know what to do with it
But perhaps, this idea wasn't from you
This is God's plan
So be my daughter
Beautiful girl
If it means that you're following God
I'm praying for you
And I'm praying for wisdom
When you're a beautiful woman
Don't look back and laugh
Thinking of the girl
You were jealous of
Saying, "hey, that's my mama"
Look past me, unready to be a mother
Trying to show you the way
To the Christ
Who brought you into my life
Who can truly adopt you
And if you forget your "mama" that's okay
As long as you never forget your true family
The God I pray
You'll look at and say,
"You're my Father."
You'll know enough
If you know Jesus
I know you need Him
And you're beautiful
Just remember
I love you
And He does too
That has sort of become my theme. One interesting thing about writing is that you can challenge yourself. Rereading my essay reminded me of where I was then. We were unable to do Kid's Club this year. Working on this post, I reminded myself of the importance of the children, and yet I still fail to pray for them as I should. Now I wonder, with this burden on my heart, what am I to do? What can you do?
Consider working at a Kid's Club or Backyard Bible Club (VBS, for you non-Christ the Worders). If you can, do a missions trip like Elizabeth and Zach. Our family has wanted to adopt, but it's not possible for us. There are still things you can do, such as support families that do adopt-and there are ways other than financial to do that.
But no matter how busy you are, no matter how much money you can spend, you can pray, which is probably what they need most. Take a look at Elizabeth's blog, talk to families who are adopting, and pray for them. When After School Kid's Clubs start up again in the fall (and even before), see how you can help; pray for the kids; pray for the leaders and helpers. Even for those who can't help because of the time, arrange to go one afternoon, and pick one child-or if you are attentive to the needs of the kids and involved, one may pick you-and pray for that child. Or choose a club, and at 3:30 on each appropriate day pray for that club.
It is rare for me to have a strong favorite, and it's especially hard to choose one with things that have so many that I love, like hymns and songs. This is especially true with Scripture-whichever one I am reading at the time is the one I like. I used to say Acts was my favorite book because I liked Paul. But now I would say it was Isaiah. I have a special love for Isaiah, and in particular chapter 49. As I studied that chapter, I think around the time I wrote that essay...well, I'll let you read it.
And please, read it. It's easy when you're quickly scanning a blog to sort of skip over the Scriptures posted; they're familiar, and your time is short. Don't do it. Don't skim it-read it, picture it in your mind.
The first thirteen verses are not what I want to speak of specifically, but they set the stage and give the latter ones their impact.
Isaiah 49
1“Listen, O coastlands, to Me, And take heed, you peoples from afar! The Lord has called Me from the womb; From the matrix of My mother He has made mention of My name. 2 And He has made My mouth like a sharp sword; In the shadow of His hand He has hidden Me, And made Me a polished shaft; In His quiver He has hidden Me.”
3 “And He said to me, ‘You are My servant, O Israel, In whom I will be glorified.’ 4 Then I said, ‘I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and in vain; Yet surely my just reward is with the Lord, And my work with my God.’”
5 “And now the Lord says, Who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, To bring Jacob back to Him, So that Israel is gathered to Him (For I shall be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, And My God shall be My strength), 6 Indeed He says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’”
7 Thus says the Lord, The Redeemer of Israel, their Holy One, To Him whom man despises, To Him whom the nation abhors, To the Servant of rulers: “Kings shall see and arise, Princes also shall worship, Because of the Lord who is faithful, The Holy One of Israel; And He has chosen You.”
8 Thus says the Lord:
“In an acceptable time I have heard You, And in the day of salvation I have helped You; I will preserve You and give You As a covenant to the people, To restore the earth, To cause them to inherit the desolate heritages; 9 That You may say to the prisoners, ‘Go forth,’ To those who are in darkness, ‘Show yourselves.’
“They shall feed along the roads, And their pastures shall be on all desolate heights. 10 They shall neither hunger nor thirst, Neither heat nor sun shall strike them; For He who has mercy on them will lead them, Even by the springs of water He will guide them. 11 I will make each of My mountains a road, And My highways shall be elevated. 12 Surely these shall come from afar; Look! Those from the north and the west, And these from the land of Sinim.”
13 Sing, O heavens! Be joyful, O earth! And break out in singing, O mountains! For the Lord has comforted His people, And will have mercy on His afflicted.
If you weren't reading closely before, do now.
14 But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me,
And my Lord has forgotten me.”
15 “Can a woman forget her nursing child,
And not have compassion on the son of her womb?
Surely they may forget,
Yet I will not forget you.
16 See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands;
Your walls are continually before Me.
17 Your sons shall make haste;
Your destroyers and those who laid you waste
Shall go away from you.
18 Lift up your eyes, look around and see;
All these gather together and come to you.
As I live,” says the Lord,
“You shall surely clothe yourselves with them all as an ornament,
And bind them on you as a bride does.
19 “For your waste and desolate places,
And the land of your destruction,
Will even now be too small for the inhabitants;
And those who swallowed you up will be far away.
20 The children you will have,
After you have lost the others,
Will say again in your ears,
‘The place is too small for me;
Give me a place where I may dwell.’
21 Then you will say in your heart,
‘Who has begotten these for me,
Since I have lost my children and am desolate,
A captive, and wandering to and fro?
And who has brought these up?
There I was, left alone;
But these, where were they?’”
22 Thus says the Lord God:
“Behold, I will lift My hand in an oath to the nations,
And set up My standard for the peoples;
They shall bring your sons in their arms,
And your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders;
23 Kings shall be your foster fathers,
And their queens your nursing mothers;
They shall bow down to you with their faces to the earth,
And lick up the dust of your feet.
Then you will know that I am the Lord,
For they shall not be ashamed who wait for Me.”
24 Shall the prey be taken from the mighty,
Or the captives of the righteous be delivered?
25 But thus says the Lord:
“Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away,
And the prey of the terrible be delivered;
For I will contend with him who contends with you,
And I will save your children.
26 I will feed those who oppress you with their own flesh,
And they shall be drunk with their own blood as with sweet wine.
All flesh shall know
That I, the Lord, am your Savior,
And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”
As I read it, tears came to my eyes. How could verses 6, 15 and 16 not affect you? And then, I pictured the next verses. All these children, and where did they come from? They need more space, there are so many.
And then I envision the vast, bright throng. Great tall kings coming in the lead, with children on their shoulders, milling all around them. And my heart stops, and the tears fill my eyes again. For that girl, on that royal king at the front? I know her-it's Ka'Nia! And holding his hand-I recognize her, too. There's Kyra! Suddenly I realize, these children, flowing to Zion, carried in the arms of queens, I know them! Each of these faces comprising this enormous throng is a familiar one.
There's Vicky, grinning on another's shoulders. And goofing off in the midst-that's Zyeri, my buddy. Laschelle is coming, leading little Aleaha, who is holding her sister's hand. Fabiano, and his brother too-but now he's running, and his hand restored. Sweet little Tino, growing taller, skinny as ever, grinning as big as ever. There's Nathan and Madison, hand in hand. Shyanne, no longer shy. There's precious Regan and Jordy. And there, a little family, with my baby Logan quite grown, but happy and chubby as ever, and his parents looking so fine. Adorable Luca, running to hug me, to ask if we could play Duck, Duck, Goose. I catch my breath at the sight of Palome, Philip, and Mercedes, who is looking truly beautiful, with real laughter in her eyes, and leading little children with them. Rosita, with her big grin, cute little Yessica, my precious Mercedes and her little sister, mischievous Keith and Mark, Cameron, Nay'Shawn. Ean. Skye. Brooke and Brice. Curly-headed little Daniel, tiny Jody. The precious little girl I saw a picture of from an orphanage in China.
These are the faces that fill that throng. I could go on, but from this you can picture the scene presented to my mind.
From another chapter in Isaiah that I love, chapter 54, verse 13:
All your children shall be taught by the Lord, And great shall be the peace of your children.
The thought of the children having great peace... What more wonderful promise could we have?