You hear, O Lord, the desire of the afflicted...

But you, O God, do see trouble and grief; you consider it to take it in hand. The victim commits himself to you;

You are the helper of the fatherless.  Psalm 10:14 

You hear, O Lord, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed…

Psalm 10:17

        As the mother of an only child right now, I have often wondered how you love more than one child.  As any mom with more than one child can tell you it just happens and you do.  My heart grew bigger last night and more love for Amyiah flooded in.  I am still amazed at this journey and how God uses the smallest things to teach us lessons that will be used for later.  My full of life, over the top, drama queen, angel child Anna Lee, who is six, got sick last night.  She has asthma, so any little sniffle or cold sends her spinning downward.  We were at church and she was preparing for a play that she has worked extremely hard for.  She loves choir, she loves to sing, she loves to dance and she was getting to do it all.  Until that fever hit, 10 minutes before she was to go on stage.  As I loaded her with medicine and sat in the corner of a church office we prayed.  We prayed for healing, strength and understanding incase she didn’t get to perform, as she had her heart set on doing.  She managed to do her part but then had to come off stage.  She was upset she didn’t get to finish, but I learned quick it was becoming a teachable moment for her.  That not all things go as we plan, and sometimes we work so hard for something and feel as if we don’t get the reward…when all the while most of our rewards will not be handed out on earthly terms.  I got to remind her all her practice and all her hard work, was already seen by the Lord, and her treasure and rewards are with him.  All the while she was learning valuable lessons, so was I.  As I held my fever splotched baby, thoughts flooded my mind of Amyiah.  How many times had she been sick and I wasn’t there to hold her?  How many times has she had a fever, and I wasn’t there to give her a cold rag to make it better?  How many times had she been upset, and I wasn’t there to plead her case before my Heavenly Father, as I did for Anna Lee through the night last night.  And then just as my Heavenly Father always does, He wrapped me up in his arms and comforted me by telling me He is preparing Amyiah for us, just as we are being prepared for her.  I haven’t been the one taking care of her when she is sick, but HE HAS.  She is His child first, and He has provided a way for her, and comforted her when her mother couldn’t.  His Word backs it up.  He not only told me, He wrote to me for confirmation in Psalms.  As I sat by the Christmas tree soaking in His word and praying for both of my children this morning I felt like the Grinch (in a good way when he got it together!).  I feel like my heart has grown three sizes this morning.  Love is flooding in for a child that is half way across the world. My prayer life is being renewed and strengthened through trying times in both of my children’s lives. 

       

 It is my birthday today, and I have been given the best gift I could ever have.  A Heavenly Father, that walks through life beside us, that knows what His Children need…all of them….even me! 

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!  And that is what we are!   1 John 3:1