Many of you have read the story of Michael from Katie Davis's blog. A hungry, neglected little boy that she took care of for awhile. Katie had to eventually him home, and a few weeks later she wrote, "I think of Michael who is back at home with his step mom, healthy now, but more than likely still mistreated. God knows that as a single woman I cannot legally adopt a little boy, how could my heart be so knit to his."
I had wondered why she did not just keep him, and when I read her reason I fell apart. I immediately went downstairs to my reading corner and fell on the floor sobbing. Uncontrollably crying to the point that Corey came from some other corner of the house to see what was wrong.
I told him that if we were there, we could take him. Oh, how I love little boys and I would take another one in a heartbeat. But I felt hopeless and frustrated that I could do nothing for that little boy at that moment.
God was not impressed with my brokenness. And he quickly reminded me that I had failed to even pray for him.
From the first time that I read about him September, my heart had ached to go and do, but I had failed to stop and pray specifically for Michael. Because I am not the answer.
But I have influence. Influence with the King of kings. Influence with the God who owns the cattle on a thousand hills, and the God who knew Michael by name before the world was formed. I am a child of the King, and I have influence. My prayers are powerful and effective.
So for Michael, and the other 147 million orphans, I pray. I pray that they are loved and nourished, I pray that they know how much Jesus Christ loves them and how much He gave for them that they too might have influence with the King. And I humbly pray that he would use me, and my family, and my church, and my few faithful blog readers to be some of the ones to tell them.
6 comments:
Wow. When your heart breaks for someone, a situation, a people group, a nation, then God is offering you the opportunity to join Him in a work that He has prepared. No idea what this is going to look like but there is no coincidence with this experience and your desire to serve the orphans in 2 African countries. It is going to be amazing to watch this unfold over the coming months - to see where God takes you on this journey.
Sumer, thank you so much for sharing your heart and for realizing that your circle of influence is so much larger than 10 readers. Your example as a wife, a mother, and a child of God humbles me. I am so glad to be reminded to pray specifically, and I can't wait to see what God is going to do through you!
Well said. Matthew 18:10 comes to my mind:
"See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven."
Good to know that Michael's personal angel has seen the face of God today.
~H
WOW
Know that the Lord is using you to challenge me.
I am so excited to watch God working in you. And I ache for those babies (no matter how old they are) in Africa. I believe they all deserve to be loved as much as my own boys. Know that your sphere of influence reaches more than 10, and whomever it reaches, it reaches with a BANG too. Cuz that's how God works...
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