The last few days I have felt less than superb (let’s just say my digestive system has been having a few issues). No matter how old I get, how long I’ve been away from home earning my own paycheck, or how independent I like to think I am, there is still one thing I want when I’m sick: my Mommy. There’s comfort in knowing that my Mom is there ready to take care of me, even if there’s nothing tangible she can do to make me feel better. Just her presence is enough.
A couple of nights ago, while not feeling well myself, I worked the 2pm-10pm shift with my teammate Joni for the infants and toddlers at the children’s home. Upon our arrival we discovered our sweet little 6 month old felt far worse than I did. Her fever was high, her little body radiating heat. Her nose ran and it was clearly a struggle for her to breathe. You could hear and feel her chest rattling with each breath she took.
As she cried, helpless to make herself feel better or communicate her needs, I realized that her Mommy isn’t thousands of miles away like mine is. She can’t return to her Mommy in 10 months and be taken care of.
She is an orphan.
Her parents left her.
As I felt my heart break at this realization, I felt the heart of God come alive in me. Despite my own sickness, despite my sadness and anger at the reality that this child does not have two loving parents to take care of her, a sense of peace and love came over me. As I held God’s beautiful child I could feel peace and love flowing from God, through me, to her. Her crying subsided, her breathing became less labored, and she fell asleep in my arms.
While this beautiful baby doesn’t have earthly parents to care for her when she is ill, for those few hours I had the honor of sharing the unconditional, unfailing love of her most real parent: Jesus. For those few hours I was able to hold her and meet her needs as if she were my own.
For every day of her life, whether she spends her childhood at the children’s home or is adopted into a loving family, I hope she knows that every cry is heard, every need met by her heavenly Father. I hope there are always people there to hold her and love her as if she were their own. I hope she knows she is God’s beautiful, beloved, and chosen daughter.
