NEED

Need.

The world is filled with need. If you have small children, your day might be filled with unending declarations of need. "Mom, I need that toy!" Mom, I need some water." Mom, I NEED the toy that Evan has RIGHT NOW!" These declarations are quickly followed by my NEED for chocolate/coffee/ice cream/naptime....

As humans, we have needs. That is reality. 

For most of my adulthood, I have been keenly aware of one massive need. The need for families. The need for love in action. In our busy lives filled with an abundance of superficial needs it is easy to become distracted. I am guilty of this. 

So let me state it simply. 

People NEED love. 

This is not a want. This is not something we can thrive without. People are designed to NEED love. 

We are CALLED to love. To BE His hands and His feet.  I want my actions to speak love, my life to personify love, with self-denial, acts of service and with a commitment to saying "yes" as often as I can. Being human and acknowledging my own limitations and frailty I admit I could do better. It is easy to simply try to be His voice...but that is not what we are called to. Let me say it again. We are called to be His hands and feet. To reflect love with our actions and choices. 

In the face of the tremendous need for love in our world, it may be daunting to act. To start. Let me offer a suggestion. 

Pray for orphans. Invite this crisis into your heart and mind. Let it become real. The most vulnerable in our society are in need. They are deprived an essential bond of love and security. Do not despair, there is something YOU CAN DO! 

You can offer:

Time. 

Acknowledgement.

Prayer. 

Compassion.

You can prayerfully consider adoption. 

Perhaps you honestly cannot adopt at this time. That doesn't mean that the crisis fails to exist because you cannot adopt. Do not hide your eyes from their faces. Do not deny their pain. Hold it in your heart and pray. Prayer moves mountains. Become involved!  

Please consider Marv. 

For 13 years Marv has survived, hoping for a family.That is a very long time to wait and to maintain hope. A long time to put on a brave face. To survive. He deserves love. He deserves to be cherished. He desperately wants to play soccer. Hugs would be readily welcomed. 

He does not demand a perfect family. He does not have any concept of what a family truly is. He simply wants to be wanted. To belong. To be supported. At the heart of it all, isn't that what we all crave?

Is that asking too much?

Someone that has met him says: "He is great, He loves soccer, really loves it! He seemed to me to be totally cognitively typical. Though I am sure he is behind peers here in America, to be expected. He is very very small for his age (I saw him 18 months ago) He also loved playing with the camera. He expressed several times wanting to be adopted. He seemed to be a good balance of assertive but not aggressive. Being small for his age he still got out and played soccer with all kids much bigger than him."

Look at those dimples! 

His main need is for family. FAMILY!  Please see him. 

Pray for him. 

Share his face. 

Consider him. 

As we enter Holy Week, pray for this sweet boy and all the other children who anxiously wait to be chosen.