Laying in her massive pile of blankets the baby sleeps peacefully, completely unaware to the curious and adoring eyes watching her. “She weighs less than 10 pounds,” our host tells us, “and she is 9 month old.” My team and I couldn’t believe what we were hearing. There was no way that tiny little baby girl was already nine months old.
“What’s her name?” one teammate asked.
“We…named her Lydia,” our ministry host responded. I’m sure he could read the confusion on all the faces of my teammates and I, so he launched into why Lydia had come to stay at the Shelter of Love. (Shelter of Love is a children’s home in Kampong Thom, Cambodia that my team has been doing ministry at for the past week and a half.)
Lydia’s story begins long before she was born. Actually, her story begins even before the baby was conceived. Lydia’s story begins with Lydia’s father: a violent man, who was addicted to alcohol. A man who beat and abused Lydia’s mother before, during, and after her pregnancy with Lydia. So much so that Lydia was born three months prematurely, which is part of the reason that she is so tiny.
Lydia was born into a family devoid of love, joy, or hope. When she was around 6 months old, Lydia’s mother ran away with another man, leaving little Lydia alone in the care of her father. Leaving beautiful, innocent Lydia to fend for herself in the care of her severely neglectful and abusive father. Leaving her to, most likely, die of either malnourishment or a severe physical injury.
Concerned neighbors called the Shelter of Love, asking them to take in little Lydia. It took the father awhile to admit that he was an unfit father for Lydia, and that she could join the Shelter of Love community. But eventually he gave in, and little Lydia came to this beautiful place with a lazy eye, almost purple skin from poor circulation, and scars up and down her little body.
Immediately, she was surrounded by love, light, joy, life, and hope. The Shelter of Love is a very special place in which our Father is pouring out his love onto. This is apparent in the staff (house parents,) who take care of the children who live here. It is also apparent in the unimaginable and contagious joy that all the children possess.
Little Lydia is now surrounded by love. She was born into a place that had none of this, a place that had no hope. If Lydia had not come to Shelter of Love when she did, she would not be alive at this moment, stealing the heart of anyone who comes into contact with her.
Now, Lydia is thriving, and getting stronger by the day. Her past was dark, her present is joyful, and her future is bright. I hope someday I will be able to see just what the Father does through her in this world, with this story he has given her, and the hope that he has blessed her life with. He has great things planned for her.
Help me to meet more people like Lydia! Just click “HERE!” to donate financially. Thanks all!
