This morning, I woke up a little earlier than I thought I would. I cooked breakfast, and decided to walk up to the road and clean up some of the litter that accumulates along the wood-line of the property. While I was cleaning up, I saw something down in the woods that I thought looked like a white plastic grocery bag partially covered by leaves and pine straw. I walked down to it through the thorns and small juniper trees, and as I got closer, I realized it was notebook paper folded up. It rained last night, so with the paper being wet, I could see writing in it through the fold. I picked it up to put it in the trash can that I took with me, and realized that it was part of a letter.
I find all kinds of things walking through the woods here on the property. Once, a couple of years ago, I found a whole canoe. I mean, I find all sorts of things. But I've never found anything like this before. I peeled the wet paper apart, to see big bubbly handwriting that I would assume was a girls handwriting. Part of the letter was missing, so there was no name and no way to know who had written it.
The remnant of the letter that I had found truly broke my heart. It was written by someone asking their mother why she didn't love them. Now me personally, I can't imagine a mother not loving her children. But in this letter, I gathered that the mother had thrown her daughter out of the house. The girl was pleading and begging her mother to please just love her. This was how it ended because the rest of the letter was nowhere to be found. It really got me thinking about a lot of things.
I was told once that because I had loving parents that stayed together and didn't divorce, that I had to have been raised in a "bubble" growing up. Meaning that I had no idea what others go through in life. Well, I would like a rebuttal. I myself, am divorced. I have personally seen what divorce can do to people and families. And because of that part of my own past, I feel deep sorrow for the person that wrote the letter.
I don't have children. I have a 2 year old niece that I love with all my heart. And I love being an uncle. And I pray that I will be a Godly example for her as long as the Lord allows.
We get comfortable with life. Sometimes we get a little too comfortable. We forget about people that are less fortunate than us. People who are struggling with their marriages trying so desperately to keep it alive. People who are trying to raise children on their own. And Children who want so desperately to win the approval of their parents.
If you are reading this and you have kids...Hug them! Kiss them! Love them. But I think more importantly, let them know how much God loves them.
As for me at this very moment, I'm praying for someone that I don't know, and more than likely will never know. I'm praying for a restored relationship between her and her mother. I'm praying that the girl has a warm place to stay. I'm praying that she doesn't fall in with the wrong crowd. And I'm praying that she comes across someone that loves the Lord, that will show her how valuable and loved that she is by God. I'm praying that she'll cry out to God and give her life over to Him. And I'm praying that it will start a chain reaction that will get back to her mother and that she too will find God's love and grace.
I hope you'll take time today to pray for someone out there (whether you know them or not) that is less fortunate. That they'll come to know Jesus Christ through their circumstances.
God Bless,
Kevin-