A MAMA'S HEART

Last night I scooped up my sweet baby out of his crib and was nearly moved to tears. You see that happens to me from time to time. A random routine situation will bring me to tears. As I gathered up my crying baby, held him close and moved to the kitchen I thanked God that I was his mama, that his birth mother had given him the best she knew how to give, she didn't want to let go, to miss all the little special moments of his life, she chose the hard things for herself so he could thrive. As I fixed his bottle, that he was crying his heart out for, I thought of all the other mamas around the world and how they have nothing to put in a bottle, with empty breasts and empty stomachs themselves, how their hearts must break at the cries of hunger coming from their children. Again I thank God that I can feed my babies, that I am not forced to give up my children because I can't feed them, because I live in a nation of extreme prosperity.

I think of Sam and his routine, although rather traumatic removal of his tonsils. What would have happened to him had he still been in Ethiopia? Would he have died for want of a routine procedure that happens here everyday? You see Sam's tonsils were so big they were waking him up at night, because when he fully relaxed his gigantic tonsils would cut off his air supply and he would wake up to breath. Life threatening here? NO WAY, but what if he was living on the street in Addis Ababa fending for himself, hungry, malnourished, and alone? For many children this is real life.

What will we do about it? To whom much is given, much is required! Have we given all that the Lord has required of us or are we giving a little in order to easy the guilt. Are we stuck, unsure of what to do, overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of poverty and those affected? Has the Lord laid adoption on your heart, or maybe sponsorship, or maybe he calling you to pray? Have you shrugged it off, fear and worry taking the place of God's call. What if we'd been to scared? Where would my boys be? Would they live on the streets begging for food, or maybe sifting through the garbage dump looking for something to sell or eat in order to survive. A life is at sake. If the Lord is leading you don't wait the consequences could be dire for someone else.