Ketchina

# 5 Well, I didn’t believe them. You arrived at my gate as a crippled 24- month- old. But you were so small. I thought there must have been a loss in translation. You were so lifeless. But your teeth showed it all. You had a mouth full. Your molars had come in. And on June 30th , I learned how vast, how different, how strong the types of malnutrition are. I’ve seen the swollen kind. I’ve seen the skin and bones kind. And now I’ve seen the crippled and stunted in growth kind. You came from up north.

A very desolate, poverty-stricken community. Your care-giver didn’t know how to write her own name, she didn’t even know the day you were born, so I will pick a day for you. A special day that the Lord has made. For you. Your legs are bent and crooked but you can stand. They stay very bent when you try to walk with me, but you are able to walk. My hands in yours, we do physical therapy every day. You were left in the dirt. Afraid of spoons and forks and any kind of food other than crackers for that matter. Your hair was so thin and orange but when you grin, you light up the room. You scrunch your nose and stick out your tongue. Every night you would put yourself to sleep. You would lie down wherever you are and close your eyes. You are little, but in your eyes, I know you are old. You’ve witnessed more in your lifetime than I have in mine. Only time will tell the type of mental issues you might have, but, Ketchina, you are so beautiful. I could not have asked for a sweeter toddler. I’ve seen God work miracles a lot these past few months. So I surrender you to Him. One day you will walk and talk and grow. Until then, I’ll rock you to sleep and feed you rice with my fingers, and kiss your sweet cheeks.

July pictures

My girls are growing up so fast! Annia is 4 months old now and can sit up. Ciarha is 7 months old and just got 2 teeth and has started to crawl. Dachena is 16 months old and is finally gaining weight even though she dances all day long. Ketchina is 24 months old and is able to stand on her own 2 feet without assistance now. Noldine will be 4 in August and is the best little helper. She loves to play hide and seek with her sisters.

David

“God doesn’t see the same way people see. People look at the outside of a person, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7 And in my eyes, this was perfect truth and validation to the people of David’s day. David was the youngest of 8. The runt of the family, some might like to say. The Hebrew word for “youngest son” is Haqqaton. Not only does it mean the baby of the family, it also means the least. The lowest rank. The shepherd boy. There are 66 chapters in the bible that talk about David’s story. Other than Jesus, he is the most talked about in scripture. And this made me want to dig down deeper and look at the heart of David, after all, he was “a man after God’s own heart.” Max Lucado put it like this: “God saw what no one else saw: A God-seeking heart. He took after God’s heart, because he stayed after God’s heart. In the end, that’s all God wanted or needed. Others measure your waist size or wallet. Not God. He examines hearts. When He finds one set on him, he calls it and claims it. – Facing your Giants by Lucado Here is what I saw in David. A human. A flawed, sinful, human who needs to repent and needs God’s grace just like you and I. I saw a man that, let’s be real, we all would have doubted he could win the fight against the giant. We all would have laughed and said he’s digging his own grave when we took into consideration his height, strength, and armor, vs the giant. I saw a man who loved the Lord with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength, but still lived in an imperfect world where temptation and sin stand waiting at the door. But here’s the catch. HE STILL LOVED THE LORD. HE STILL SERVED THE LORD. He broke quite few of the 10 Commandments. And truly, this is what I love about David. He is a hero, but not a perfect hero. He doesn’t put the standards so high that none of us could reach. He reminds us that we are all human, and even a man after God’s own heart, still isn’t perfect. But the king of the Universe loved him anyway. No matter what you have done, remember your relationship with Jesus can never be taken away. No matter what you’ve done wrong. No matter what the world says about you. No matter who holds the standards you are trying to reach. Man looks at the outer appearance; God looks at the heart.

If its His will, there is always a way.

“Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” I’ve read this verse 1000 times but it never really registered with me until now. I’m able to see Abraham's faith more clearly. He was against all odds, except for Gods. The world probably thought he was crazy for expecting a baby at such an old age. The crowds would have rolled their eyes in disbelief. Why Abraham? They might ask. What makes him good enough to get a son at his old age? The answer is his FAITH. He had faith. I read in a book one time that “even the great Abraham had NOT EARNED his standing before God but had received it as a GIFT when he BELIEVED God. Sometimes God makes us wait. Most of the time I lose faith and patience while waiting. Perhaps Abraham did too. Sometimes we try to accomplish it our own way. We try to "help" God to make something happen quicker. For Abraham, at the beginning, it was easy to believe he would get a son. He was young, his wife was in child-bearing years. But after waiting, and waiting, and waiting, he still looked to the sky and counted the stars. Did he doubt? I would say so. Did he question? Of course. Because he was human. He never gave up on God though. He knew who he was and what he was able to do. He believed the unbelievable. He knew nothing was Impossible with God. His faith was assured in who God was. He knew that God is never too late. That the world might say give up, but He keeps saying hang on. The crowd might say you are crazy but He will say “my child, the gift is coming if you keep on believing.” Believe God. Even when the circumstance seems impossible. Abraham did, and now his descendants outnumber the stars. Perhaps you aren't waiting on a baby. Maybe a spouse. Maybe a new mountaintop. Maybe just a miracle. Urge yourself as I urge myself, to believe like Abraham did. To have faith that He can and will move mountains. Father, remind me there is always a way, if it is Your will. Nothing is impossible for you. You hold the universe in your hands. The flowers may fade, but Your word stands forever. Amen