Open my eyes that I may see.........

Last Thursday was the the first day of kindergarten in the town in which I live. Although I don't have any of my own children that young, I do have four sweet girls that I've cared for at my daycare. Two of them I've had since they were babies so they are kind of like my own. As I viewed "first day of kindergarten" pictures posted on Facebook I teared up a bit. I reminisced about the past three to five years that I spent with these children and thought about how "my" babies were growing up and moving on to the next stage of their lives. I worried. Will the teacher notice when my quiet, shy little girl is frightened or needs to use the bathroom but is too scared to ask? Did any of "my" girls cry when their mamas left them at school? Are they scared? Are the other children being nice?

I have similar worries for my own children although they are not so small. My son will be fourteen next week and my daughter just turned twenty-three. I worry when they are not with me. Are they making good choices? Are they experiencing peer pressure? Will they stand firm in their convictions? But most my worries center around their safety. Are they in a safe environment?

There are mothers around the world that have deeper fears for their children than these. I can not even fathom those feelings of fears which often, undoubtedly, lead to feelings of hopelessness.

Noel Brewer Yeatts, in her book 'Awake', shares a story of an eleven year old, Ugandan girl, Evah.  Evah watched soldiers of the Lord's Resistance Army murder her father and beat her mother. She was then taken prisoner and forced to work for the army. Can you imagine?

"Evah is just one of the thousands of children abducted by Joseph Kony and his LRA. Since 1986, more than 40,000 children ages seven to seventeen have been abducted to be used as child soldiers and slaves. At the height of the rebel attacks, over 40,000 children, some as young as five years old, left their villages to take refuge in towns for the night and make the trek back home the next morning. Many walked as far as eight miles each way to their dangerous commute. They had no choice but to flee. These boys and girls were not safe in their own beds."

As a mother, as one who cares for children, this is heartbreaking. These children were not even safe in their homes. Can you imagine how Evah's mother worried? Knowing the evils that her daughter would see and experience. Knowing that her daughter would most likely be harmed and even killed. My worries seem so small in comparison. 

So what can we do? 

PRAY. GO. GIVE.

For my own children I pray, I spend time (GO!) with my children and I provide (GIVE!) for my children. I can do the same for the children of Africa. During this season of my life, I am unable to go to Africa but I am able to pray. Although I have little, compared to much of the world I have much so I can give up some luxuries in order to give. I can't just wipe away my tears after hearing such stories and continue on with my life of laundry folding, meal making and home school lessons. Every tiny bit that I do is better than doing nothing at all.

If you want to join World Help to make a difference in Africa.....in whatever capacity in which you are able please visit here. 

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