Dearest Friends,
My good friend Ted is a kind and compassionate man, who is also on our Board of Directors. Recently, he shared the following story with me. It so touched my heart that I want to share it with you. The following are his words:
“One of my medical colleagues recently asked a patient how many children he has, and his answer was, ‘three or four.’
There was no dementia involved, except maybe a dementia of caring.
I’d hate to be his number four child and go through life as ‘or four.’
My missionary friend, Linda, who literally takes the Good News of Jesus to kids all over the world, tells them as part of her puppet shows, ‘God sees you. God knows your name. You are a treasure to God.’
She speaks those truths into some very difficult and tragic situations, and her presence in those places makes them more than just words.
And no matter what the world, or their parents, or lack of parents, have told them, they are treasures to God.
Even ‘or four’ is a treasure to God.
What does it take to treasure a child, or even any other person? What does it mean to treasure? I wonder if‘or four’ will grow up to be difficult because of never being treasured by another person, and not knowing or seeing he/she is treasured by God.
I wonder if ‘or four’ walks on eggshells, or is trying to compete with the world for the attention of someone who is too self-absorbed to give consistent attention. Is ‘or four’ feeling unseen or unnamed?
I wonder if ‘or four’ will curl up in the dark tonight with tears uncounted.”
I hope your heart is broken for the story of this little one, and I would ask you to pray for this child tonight. So many of the children that we serve are like this child. They grow up in homes where no one sees them and no one loves them. They do not see themselves as a treasure. It is an honor to have the privilege to share Jesus with children who so desperately need to be loved. As you watch the video we have attached to this email, please think of this child and pray.
In Jesus,
Linda