Our adoption journey.

Scheming To Belong

When you were a teenager, did you ever try to make a scheme to get that guy you liked to notice you (or vice versa)? You might have really felt you belonged together.  You really, really longed for him (or her) to love you and just be together.  Isn't that the universal longing? Sure cultural differences may make the longings be expressed differently.  But even when I lived in Asia where (at the time) at least 50 % of all marriages were stilled arranged by the parents, the longing for love and to belong was in the heart of most. ( I think it is in the heart of all, but it isn't always understood by the person having the longings because of their culture.) 
The past few months I have seen several videos of various children who are also longing to belong.  They were all older children (12 + years old).  But they were not thinking of a boyfriend or girlfriend.  They were pouring out their heartfelt longing for someone to notice them, to love them to belong together, as parents and children.
How my heart breaks for each of these children, who had their basic fundamental right of having parents raise them, was denied.  How I wish I could take in several of them and be that parent they so long for.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEyO-tpnJfI

Of course, all that takes money.  Yes, money is the limiting factor.

So join our TEAM DANIEL and help us bring one or two of these precious ones into a family.  
Thanks to all who joined our Pampered Chef Party.
We now have our Trades of Hope sell going on.  Check it out.  It will benefit a woman somewhere in the world to get our of poverty and it will benefit our adoption.
http://www.mytradesofhope.com/parties/1448

Aren't You To Old

For those of you who already have been following this blog, you have read a little glimpse into why I felt we should adopt a child.  When we were in court, in Russia, the first time, I was asked how many children did I intend to have/adopt?  I answered without thinking.  "Sir we only intend to adopt this one child and we do not intend to give birth to any others."  But I instantly regretted my hasty words.  I really wasn't being dishonest.  However, as soon as those words were out, I had the thought, "What about A?" 
 We had fallen in love with him from the moment we were introduced.  But I knew intellectually that we could not adopt him.  First, we were only approved for 1 child in our homestudy. If we had tried to add another child at that time, we would have had to get a homestudy update which would have required lots of time and money.  Secondly, Russia required a complete set of documents for each child.  Those documents had taken us literally months to gather. (Not because we wanted it to take that long.  And not because we didn't work hard at getting them all.  It was just that we needed so many documents and many of them hinged on procuring other documents first.) Thirdly, we were dependent on other people to do their job to get the documents to us.  And last but not least, it would have required lots of extra money up front.  Which of course, we did not have.
But still what about A?  We prayed, we talked, we schemed "how" and we even begged and pleaded with friends, family, and even strangers who would listen, to adopt him.  But then the adoption ban against Americans adopting from Russia, came.  And that seems to have halted our quest for A for now.
But that did not end my avid following of other peoples adoption related blogs.  
In fact, a former student of Trent's began the adoption process, with her husband, of a child in China who desperately needs heart surgery.  I have followed their progress on facebook mostly.  But one day she posted a picture of her hoped for daughter and with her  in the picture, was a fellow orphanage mate.  The instant I saw his picture, I was in love.  
This child is just under 2 years of age and also has congenital heart defects.  He has had one surgery provided by generous USA doctors and by a donor from the US who paid the costs (at least to my understanding that is what has occurred.)  But he will need another heart surgery at some point in the future.  
Did I mention he is under 2?!  I really wasn't intending to adopt a toddler.  I am getting up there in years.  Actually, many of my friends and peers who are around my age, have or are eagerly expecting grandchildren  not to adding more babies and toddlers of their own!  But than I look at pictures of him and feel jealous at the prospect of someone else raising him.  I know that sounds ridiculous.  Afterall, he isn't my son in any sense of the word nor have I even met him.  But who can really explain love?
Those of you who know Trent and I, know we always make everything a matter of prayer.  We are still praying for the best thing to happen.  For us and for this child.  We have begun the first tentative steps for fundraising. 
 Honestly, because of the huge amount the last adoption cost (just the average cost for Russian adoption was huge and we had huge added on expenses for extra documents and an extra trip to Russia,  Just the plane tickets and hotel costs were huge for that extra trip. Not to mention the huge cost for tickets and hotels for the other 4 trips!!!) we are needing help to pay off the last chunk of money for that extra trip and start saving for the next one.
So we hope to have some fundraisers where everyone will find something they can buy (and benefit themselves with) and help us as well.  
The first fundraiser if for Pampered Chef.  So we hope you will join Team Daniel and check it out!!  www.pamperedchef.biz/blessedx7.  Make sure you put Jeannie Logan as the host so we will get the money!

Providences of God Part 2

I must confess, I am an adoption blog junkie.  I follow quite a few blogs plus read perhaps dozens of others occasionally.  One recurring theme that I have seen in these blogs actually could be our story as well.  Let me tell you the story...
After our first trip to Russia to meet Z and sign our petition to adopt, we figured we really needed some relaxation and some family time.  We had worked so hard to get in all that paperwork and we also had been painting our house, adding some flower boxes around our windows and planting flowers.  We spent a few days playing with D & L.  Then a serious situation arose in the extended family that we felt we needed to be there to help with.  So off we went on the 14 hour trip to Groveland, CA.
We had to start after church and we drove until about 3 in the morning and stopped at a rest area outside of Selma, CA.  We woke up about 5:20 and got back on the road.  I was driving.  About 3/4 of a mile out of the rest area, after I had just gotten up to the highway speed of 70 m.p.h., I saw some kind of debris on the road ahead.  I tried to get over in the other lane but there was a car approaching, so I looked to get over on the shoulder of the highway but it was to late.  I was already on top of the debris.  It looked like a metal pipe but I really wasn't sure.  We immediately started hearing a clunk and metal dragging along the ground.  So I started to pull over as soon as I could slow down.  As soon as I stopped Trent opened his door and we could smell gas and both Trent and I said to the kids, "out of the car now!!!!"  We all ran from the car.  Trent had his cell phone and called 911.  
And we waited and waited and waited. (Meanwhile pacing back and forth wondering how much damage was done, how we were going to proceed on our trip---which had an urgent reason behind it in the first place-- and what would happen if any spark came close to our van.  And we prayed and sang and tried to stay positive. We even tried to find as many positive things in the situation as we could.)  And no one came for some time.  We were expecting any minute there would be flames but nothing happened. 
Finally after about 45 minutes, a Selma city police stopped and asked if we had called for help.  We told him we had.  He called the CHP and found out they were confused where we were.  This police was very helpful.  He called  a tow truck for us.  Finally after another 30 min. a CHP officer stopped by.  But we didn't need help at this point.  The truck came shortly after and towed us into the Toyota Dealer in Selma.  Because it was Sunday and the next day was July 4, it was closed until Tuesday.  And the tow truck guy took us over to the car rental and it turns out it was closed until Tuesday!  We prayed about what to do.  
I suddenly remembered that Trent's Uncle and Aunt lived within 20 miles of that place.  Trent called Aunt Ruth up.   She called up their son, Bruce and he cheerfully came and picked us up and took us into Fresno.  We went to the airport to rent a car.  So we rented a car and stopped to get food at WinCo.  Then we drove on to Groveland.  We ended up being about 4-5 hours later than we expected but still got there with no injuries or death. PTL!!!!!!

These pictures are of the gas tank.  When we went back to get our van, Trent went out and asked if he could take pictures of the tank.  We were curious how big the hole was.  Also we want to always remember this incident.
While Trent was taking the pictures, I went in to pay the bill.  The Customer Service man was so in awe.  He told me straight up that he could not fathom how our van did not catch on fire.  After all the gas tank had a huge hole with that had had gas gushing out, while the pipe was stuck there and being dragged along the pavement, most likely causing all kinds of sparks to fly.  Yet the gas didn't catch on fire.  Sure it is not that easy to get gas to catch on fire.  But I believe that our guardian angels made sure that it didn't.  And the Customer Service man said he had to agree with me there!
So what is this recurring theme I have read in adoption blogs?
The day that people commit to adopting a child, things begin to go haywire at a much faster rate than usual.  I mean that Satan goes on the war path.  Things begin to break down, accidents happen, problems with paperwork and with uncooperative people at many diverse locations and businesses, health problems and much more.  
Why do you suppose this is the case?  What is it to Satan anyway?
Stay tuned for my take on it next time. :)

Providences of God

I am not a person that has routinely kept a journal or diary in my life except on two occasions.  The year I spent in S. Korea as a missionary, I kept a journal.  It is a treasure to me to reread about that year of my life.  I relive the time in my mind.  I reaffirm to myself that that decision to be a missionary for a year, was the best decision I had ever made up until that time, outside of accepting God as my Lord and Savior and being baptized.  I remember how God protected me and helped me over some rocky way.  I see the providences and encouragements of God in the different incidences I wrote about.
The second time period in my life that I kept somewhat of a journal was during the adoption process for our youngest daughter Z.  I look back over the journal now and remember especially how God gave us little assurances along the very rocky, difficult almost impossible way, that He was with us.  He was providing for us in little providences and encouragements.
Many of the things I wrote about and remember were actually very little things.  But they had such big consequences.  For instance, at one point, we were told our paperwork had to be to Russia by such and such a day (which was only a 4 days away).  The thing was that the paperwork had to be redone (again) because of mistakes and expiration dates etc.  Then after getting the paperwork done one has to get it apostilled (which means the Secretary of State's office in your state has to put a special seal on each of the documents, verifying that the notary that notarized the document is authentic).  
Of course, the Secretary of State is in Phoenix which is about 3 hours plus drive for us.  Usually we mailed them to be apostilled, which would take roughly 7 days to be returned.  But because of the demand from the Russian authorities, we only had a few days, D and I drove down to Phoenix to get the documents done.  I had printed out directions for the nearest Post Office, from the Secretary of State's building.  However, following the directions did not end me up at a Post Office.  I drove around and around hoping to bump into one.  But after 30 min of that I decided it would be better to drive back home.  I hoped to find the Post Office in the town of Payson on our way home.  It was only about 3 hours until closing time of the Post Office and I knew I had better hurry.  
Just before the exit onto the correct highway, I saw a sign for an exit for what I thought was for WalMart.  So I got off at that exit, because I needed something from there.  But I didn't see a WalMart.  Instead, there was the main Post Office for the city of Phoenix and the main distribution center for the whole State.  If I had sent it from Holbrook or Payson by "overnight" mail, it might get there the next afternoon (24 hours later) or possibly even 36-42 hours later (yes we live in a very rural community).  But from the main Post Office of Phoenix it took less than 12 hours to get to Washington state, to our agency.  And from our agency it was sent on to the agency in Russia and it took 4 days! (Normal time frame would have been 7-10 days).
I had been super stressed when I couldn't find the Post Office near the Secretary of State's office.  I stressed out even more when I realized I had forgotten the address I had to send it to.  I was even more stressed when I found my cell phone was out of minutes and couldn't call anyone for the address or directions.  
I had a mini meltdown and then I decided to pray (now isn't that how we so often do that!).   I prayed like crazy.  And God led me to the one place in the State, that would get my documents to where they needed to go, the fastest possible way.  And after another saga (of which I won't recount here, but believe me, it was another almost identical saga as trying to find the Post Office) of trying to get minutes on my phone to call someone for the address, I got that accomplished too.
Thank-You God!  It sure is a blessing to belong to the best Father in the Universe!

The PARTIAL stack of documents for the adoption.  This stack is about 2 1/2 inches thick the final stack was closer to 4 inches!

What an apostille looks like in the State of Arizona

Oh, please be here for me!!!

The requirements for adopting from Russia were quite daunting to be sure.  I remember the first time I recieved the e-mail with all the required documents attached, I almost gave up on the spot.  To add to the "pleasure" of getting all these documents (which all have to be precisicly done with no errors in spelling or facts or wording and be signed in front of a notary in blue ink and dated correctly) many of the documents had a 3 month expiration date.  So once you begin you have to constantly be redoing documents until they are all done at once and can be sent to Russia.  For instance, we had to be fingerprinted 5 different times throughout the process.
It was such a relief to finally have all the paperwork done.  Getting on the plane to fly to Russia to meet our hoped for daughter was such a relief.  (Until I had relaxed enough and than I started getting anxious about our first meeting! Ha)  
But one thing that had not ever entered my mind was, how will the other children react to us being there? Will they be mad at our daughter for getting parents?  Would they be mean to her?  Would they want to interact with us?  Or would the staff members keep the other children stictly out of our way?  Or would the other children see us as simply "vistors" and not take much thought to us otherwise?
Once we arrived in Russia, it was discovered that two of our documents were not acceptable because they had just expired. (Not really sure where communication had broken down on that one.  But it was a costly and very stressful mistake!)  So once again we had to get more documents, but with the added stress and complication of being in Russia and the documents had to be done in the United States.  Finally after 7 days the documents arrived in Russia.  And we were given permission to meet Z for the first time. 
We arrived at the orphanage and after meeting the director and being interviewed by the social worker, we were told that Z's groupa (the group of children she lived with in one section of the orphanage) would perform several songs for us so that we could observe Z in a relaxed setting.  We were not allowed to take pictures.  But let me assure you, the performance was so precious.  The Russians know how to sing and perform!  The children were all 5 or 6 years olds who knew how to sing out loudly and clearly and enthusiasticly.  After performing, the group was ushered out of the room.  The orphanage director called Z over to us so we could just meet her very briefly face to face. (At this point the children had just been told vistors were there but not why the vistors had come.)  Z stopped in front of us, but so did 2 of her groupmates.  And I knew instantly that I was in trouble emotionally. Those 3 were so charming and cute and interacted so nicely.  And I wanted to be the mother of all three!!! (Later I found out that Trent had felt the same way.)  
Besides Z there was her best friend D ( a girl) and A (a boy).  The director was asking the three children questions and they would answer (which was being translated for us).  But it was D who about made me come unglued.  For when I looked into her eyes, I saw the most longing, pleading look I have ever been given.  She was telling me with her eyes that she wanted to belong.  Her eyes were telling me, "please be here for me.  I will be a good daughter.  I want to be your little girl.  I want to belong."
That first interaction was very brief.  We came back later in the day to  start our official meetings with Z.  We played with her for a couple hours and than it was time for her to eat, so we took her back to her groupa.  When we saw D, in the groupa room, she refused to look at us.  In fact we came to visit for 5 days and she didn't even look at us directly until the last day, and even than it was with totally different eyes.  This time her eyes were saying, "you weren't here for me.  I have been rejected again.  How could you not be here for me?  What's wrong with me?  I could have been a good daughter too.  I could have loved you. I want to belong!!!"
And I have not really recovered from that look since. Gifts for Dads

Will the Judge say "Yes" Part 2

November 21, 2011.  Trent and I had hardly slept the night before.  We woke up extra early and again we prayed and sang and claimed bible promises.  Many questions reverberated around our heads.  Would the Judge grill us again.  Would he just outright say no to our petition to adopt Z?  Would we have gotten Z's hopes up for a family only to have them dashed?  Would we have wasted the last 17 months of our time and thousands of dollars in the bid to give this girl the "belonging" that she deserved?
Again slowly the time rolled around for us to go to the court.  I was so nervous I could hardly even walk.  My heart felt like a drum beating against my chest.  I was sure everyone could hear it.  But once again as we waited for the Judge to arrive and I wispered my prayer I felt that God was saying "Peace, be still."  My heart beat slowly calmed and the nervous twitch in my hands was stilled.
The Judge entered, started with a small verbal review of our case and why we had returned.  He ased if the Prosecuting attorney had any further questions. (Which he did not.)  He asked if we had any further things which we wanted to say.  Which I stood and made a statement.   He than started reading through the 4 inch stack of our dossier (packets of documents required by the Russian authorities to support our petition to adopt and proving we have satisfied the requirements of the Russian adoption law) which now was much thicker due to the translation of each paper being placed with it.  And for the next 45 min.  He pretty much read through every paper.  
Again he asked the 3 officials who needed to testify, to do so.
And than he had us again state our petition.  He walked out and 5 minuets later returned and had us stand as he declared we were now the legal parents of Zarina.
Relief flooded our hearts as we eagerly looked forward with telling Z the good news!  She did belong to somebody!  She would get to escape the outcome of the children who are not adopted into families.  Opportunities abound for her to excell and overcome her status as "orphan."  She would no longer have to present (as an adult) her national ID that would always identify her as from an orphanage.  She would not have to become a statistic of prosititution, drugs, theivery,  instabilty, homelessness, joblessness or suicide.
She belonged!

To belong or not to belong.... that is the question!

I won't be telling you today all the factors that went into this decision on my part, but lets just say that I grew up with the certainty I did not want to get married.  Sure as I got older and my friends talked about who they liked and wanted to date, I can't say I wasn't attracted to that whole idea.  Sure I wanted someone to like me.  Sure I wanted a boyfriend to dote on me and take me places etc. etc.  But to actually marry?  Whew, that was another thing altogether.  And I was adamant that no male would take advantage of me in any way.
But as I entered into adulthood and especially once I started Graduate School, I realized living alone could be, well... lonely.  I did want to belong with someone.  And I wanted someone to belong with me.  But then my resolve would come up and I would say to myself that I did not need THAT to be happy.  But my prayers started including the idea that if God had someone in mind that He knew would be the perfect match than He would have to throw that person in my path because I wasn't going out looking.
And since you have already seen the picture of my family you know that family includes a husband.  I can honestly say that God has a wonderful way of bringing about His perfect plans. Did I understand or hop on board to His plans easily or immediately?  NO.  Of course, I had my ideas and they didn't line up with the plan God started to unveil to me.  You want me to belong with him, God?  But, but I don't know him and he just doesn't look like the perfect one.  But God gently led down that path anyway.  
After 18 years of marriage I can look back and say with 100% assurance that God's plan is always best.  My husband and I often tell each other that we are SO glad God knew we belonged together!  I shudder to think of living my life without this man with me.  No, I didn't need to be married to do God's will.  No, I didn't need to be married to be happy.  But God knew that if I was with this man that He could use him to bless me immeasurably and abundantly above anything I could have thought possible.  He knew the healing my heart needed.  He knew that with that healing I would become even more useful in His service.  And he knew the healing that my husband needed and that he could use me to do that healing.
We belong together!  Thank you God!!!

                                                   

                                         December 18, 2012    Our 18th Wedding Anniversary

We belong together!

December 30, 2011. Z saying goodbye to her group mate and her caretakers. Oh, how I wish sweet A could have come home with us too. Z and A had been in the same baby home and then the same children's home together. When we met Z for the first time, the orphanage director called Z over to meet us and A came along (although I don't think the director's intent was for him to come). And from the moment we met them, Trent and I wished A could belong to us also. After we came home with Z, we hoped and prayed that someday we could go back for A. Now thanks to politics between the US and Russia, there is a ban on Americans adopting from Russia. Oh, sweet boy. We pray often for you. We pray God will send someone to adopt you. We long for you to know you belong. Not only do you belong to a family, but that you belong to God! We pray for your protection against bullies and adults who would hurt you.

Will the Judge say "Yes"?

                                                 

                                                                "Mama do I belong?"

The date was October 27, 2011.  My husband and I woke up early.  We always begin our day with prayer together.  But this morning we had a much longer and intense time of prayer.  For this was the day.  The day a Judge would decide if he agreed that Z belonged in our family.  
We were so nervous.  We kept praying and reading promises from our Father to us.  Promises like:  "and  I will be with you even until the end of the world."  Or, "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me."  "Do not be afraid nor dismayed for the battle is not yours but God's."  We also sang praises to God.  
Finally the time came to stand before the Judge.  We had spent months supplying document after document to satisfy the requirements of the Russian government.  In fact, we ended up with a stack almost 4 inches thick of documents.  Would it be enough we wondered?
The Judge began to question Trent.  And in fact questioned him at length.  The Attorney representing the interests of the child, also began to question Trent. They seemed the most disturbed about the fact that we homeschooled our older 2 children.  What could be the motive to do such a thing.  They felt there had to be some deviant or sinsiter motive.  Finally, they began to question me.  Then they started questioning Trent again.
After close to 2 hours they let the orphanage director state her opinion on the matter, the Ministry of Education represenative and the cities social worker.  The first two gave affirmation to our petition to adopt.  But the social worker did not.  We were told that it is the official position of the city to be against foreign adoption of their children.
The Judge again began to question us.  This time about the three objections that the social worker had raised.  Also I saw him reach for his calendar.  I had been praying the whole time that my husband was being questioned.  And I redoubled my prayers when I saw him reach for his calendar.
For whatever reason, God allowed the Judge to require us to come back to court a second time.
Wow, were we ever stressed at this point.  Russia isn't exactly a hop and a skip from where we live!  Not to mention we already were being required to complete the adoption in 4 trips.  Now we had to add a fifth.
The picture above is actually after court.  We tried to stay cheerful for Z's sake.  She didn't understand what it all meant.  
We told her we would be back and try again.

A Father's Invitation

I remember well the first time he came to sit on my lap. Just a little, adorable 3 year old who liked to talk non-stop (never even seeming to realize I had limited understanding of all he was talking about!) I was a missionary in South Korea and one of the many things included in our fun was to go to a local orphanage to show love to the children. Every 5 or 6 weeks my fellow teachers and I made our way by city bus to the orphanage. And each time my little 3 year old friend would come to sit on my lap and tell me how his life had been since I had seen him last. I learned his sad story of abandonment. Left on a beach as if he were just a useless old sack. How I longed to be able to take away that shame and fear and sorrow that he possessed. If only I could adopt him as mine. But sadly it could not be. I was not old enough to adopt by the laws of the United States. And I still had to finish my university degree before I could get a job.
However, with little realization by me, a seed had fallen on the soil of my heart. Placed there by the One who knows and sees all. One who had the ultimate everlasting love. One who invented adoption Himself. Adoption of any and all who would accept His invitation to become His daughters and sons.
Many years removed from that experience in South Korea, my husband and I began to talk about the fact we still would like one more child. The seed that had been planted in my heart so many years before began to sprout and grow. We began to pray long and hard about whether it should be a child from an orphanage. A place of abandonment, a place of shame, fear and sorrow.
Through a series of events and hours of prayer we believe God did lead us to adopt a child. But not just any child. It was to be a child He picked out.
And then the real work , heartache, longing and difficulty after difficulty began. “Why God? If this is from You, is it so hard! Why all this paperwork and money and weeks and months of time? Could You really be leading? Wouldn't You please make this process a little bit easier?” These are the type of thoughts my husband and I had through out the adoption process. And as time past and the difficulties only increased we realized just how inadequate we were for this task. And it drove us to our knees even more. We have found that this is the best place to be! For we began to see even deeper glimpses of God's own adoption story of us. How difficult His journey has been. The work, the heartache, the longing, the difficulty after difficulty that He endured and is enduring for us.
We were able to meet our hoped for daughter in June. She immediately took to me. But having not been around men much, she was more shy around Trent. With longing in his heart, Trent and I specifically prayed that she would be more interactive and affectionate with him. That day when we went to visit, she hardly even looked at me but ran right up to Trent and threw her arms around him and said, “Hello Papa”.
Trent and I then had another glimpse of God's own feelings and experience when one of His children accepts His invitation and crys, “Abba Father!” (See Romans 8 and Galations 4)
After many more difficulties and delays, which were hard to understand and to endure, we were finally able to bring our daughter home from Russia, Dec 30, 2011. Her name is Zarina Grace. She is now 7 years old.
The name Zarina was her Russian name. It has three meanings. One means “gold”. The other meaning is “the wife of the Czar or King” And it can mean “Queen”. We gave her the name of Grace to compliment the first name and tell her adoption story. Not her earthly adoption story but her eternal adoption story. For isn't this what God wants for all of His adopted sons and daughters? To have His character perfectly reproduced in us and be refined as gold by His Grace? Hasn't He not only adopted us but wants us to be His bride? Doesn't He want us to reign with Him eternally?
We do not know the exact time our eternal adoption story will be complete and we can go home with our Heavenly Father. There are many difficulties and delays which we can not understand and it is even more difficult to endure. But the invitation to become the adopted children of God and to become His bride has been extended to each of us by His Grace and with His everlasting Love. Have we accepted this invitation? Oh how God must long to take away our shame, fear, and sorrow. I pray that each reading this will accept our Heavenly Father's invitation today!

Belonging

Belonging.... Such a nice comfy word.  Something I think all people want and need.  Belonging... Not every person experiences the warm and blessed comfortable feeling of belonging.  Have you seen them on the street?  Have you seen them on a park bench?  Have you heard their pleas for help?  Have you been in an orphanage and looked into the children's eyes?  The longing for something they don't have... The pleading for something they hope you can give them?  I have.  It doesn't matter if it is in the city, small town or the countryside.  It doesn't even matter what country you are in.  It doesn't matter if it is in an orphanage or a nursing home or walking along a sidewalk... There are pleading eyes and hands of many whether young or old, where ever you go.  

I've been to orphanages, nursing homes, parks, stores, street cornors and parking lots.  I've been to several other countries.  I've been all over our country.  I have experienced the raw emotions of the children, the elderly, the middle aged.  Their longing to belong to someone.

What am I doing about it?  What are you doing about it?  Do we hurry to the other side of the street?  Do we stop to look but without a word, move on?  Do we have a dozen excuses why we can't stop to help?

     "They will just use the money on drugs anyway."                                 

     "Those children are from another country.  We should only 

      help 'our own' children."

          "That place stinks.  I couldn't possibly go in there!"

     "I send money to _________ (fill in the name of some 

      organization)."

     "...."

Or do we stop to talk with them.  Ask their name?  Lay a hand on their shoulder.  Smile at them.  Do we ask their need?  Do we offer assistance... of any kind?

But we say,...

      "That takes time that I don't have..."

      "That feels so awkward..."

      "I don't have any money to waste...."

      "It is too sad to look into thier eyes...."

Yes.  Yes it does!

But isn't that what we have been given when we belong?  Time...money...emotional support?  Plus so much more? Hugs, prayers, shared tears, shared joys, advice, a time to be quiet but be together, a time to sing, dance, and be noisy?  And the list goes on!

Belonging...Do you belong?  

Gifts for Dads