Stemming the Tide

    There's a story I read when I was growing up called "Hans Brinker or the Silver Skates."  I loved that book.  Inside that story was another story of a little boy who walks by a dyke and sees a hole in the side.  He sticks his finger in the hole, staying there all night to keep his town from being flooded.  In the morning the townspeople discover the boy and work together to stem the tide.

    On Monday Andrea Roberts spent the day listing onto the Reece's Rainbow website 100 more little ones with Down Syndrome.  When I saw that news I felt washed over with weariness.  Here I am - hollering for Gavin, Brady and Heath in my tiny corner in the world - holding my little finger in the dyke and 100 more children come flooding over the walls.  What does my finger matter in the whole scheme of things?  How can I even think that what I do makes a bit of difference?

I despair.

    It's too big for me.  I feel like throwing in the towel.  Giving up on keeping my hole plugged.  I've got my child.  I did my job.  Let me go back to normal. 

    To be honest - that is what the church as a whole has done.  Given up.  The church has seen the huge need and decided that what needs to be done to fix the problem of orphans in the world is to forget the individual orphan and instead to focus on the 'social' ills that cause the orphan problem.  It's become a license to do nothing. 

     I've been in a lot of churches in the last 48 years of my life (yes, I am that old).  I've heard a lot of sermons.  Lots.  The honest, sad truth - Rarely - rarely - have I ever heard a sermon about the orphan.  Almost never.  How unbelievably sad.  I hate to write that on my blog because I love the church.  I love my faith.  I am a Christian and I am not ashamed.  But it is the truth.

     So I stand here, with my finger in a dyke, wondering what good I am doing as I watch the water pouring over the sides.  There are millions and millions of orphans.  I don't even want to post the number because it is too discouraging.  Too big.  What difference does my little finger make?

     To God - all the difference in the world.  To God - my little finger matters greatly.  It may be little and I may not even be plugging the hole properly and I may even have water leaking out around me but to God - my finger in that dyke is of great value. 

     And I am not alone.  Nope.  The church is around me.  I know this.  Maybe not the church proper but the real church - the individuals - those driven by the Holy Spirit - they are definitely around me.  All I have to do is read my comments section to see that mine isn't the only finger in the dyke.    All I have to do is walk into the grocery store and have someone come up and tell me that they are reading our blog, praying for the Lost Boys, cheering us on.  All I have to do is walk into my Homeschooling Co-op and see that ours isn't the only child saved.  All I have to do is hunt the internet on adoptions and see that there are hundreds, thousands of other Christian families standing next to me, stemming the tide.  All I have to do is open my e-mail and discover that I am surrounded.  There were thousands of bowed heads behind us when we stood before a judge back in September.  I am discovering that there are even more bowed heads standing with us as we fight to stem the tide to rescue the least of these. 

     Just yesterday I was given a gift by one of those who is standing with us to stem the tide.  Someone who chooses to be nameless.  Someone who has put in the mail - an iPad - a gift to help raise money for a little boy in a far away land - Gavin.  Sweet Gavin.  Another finger in the dyke.  I cried when I found out what they were doing.  I panicked too.  I am just one small person.  I am not good at fundraisers and raising money.  What if it bombs?   Yuck!  Oh me of little faith.  Truly little.  I'm struggling on Monday with whether my finger matters and yesterday someone sends me an iPad to GIVE-AWAY for Gavin.

     Our fingers do matter and saving one child is of great worth to God.  Beyond measure.  Gavin matters to the Creator of the Universe.  He matters to me.  He matters to my anonymous friend who cares deeply that he find a family.  Soon.  Gavin turns six in just a few months.  He faces transfer any day.  He needs a family quickly.  

Please stand with me.  I am putting another chip-in for the iPad.  Here's how it is going to work - If you make a donation to either of Gavin's chip-ins before December 19 - your name will be entered in a drawing.  The more you give, the more times your name will be entered.  Those who have already given to Gavin WILL have their names entered into the Give-away.  You have not been left out of this!

$5 = 1 entry
$20 = 5 entries
 $35 = 9 entries
$50 = 13 entries
 $75 = 19 entries
$100 = 25 entries
$150 = 40 entries

On December 19 we will draw a name for the iPad.  I will then ship it to the winner Priority mail so that it will arrive by Christmas! 

**If you Donate 35.00 or more before December 15th, you will also receive an Angel Tree Ornament with Gavin's picture!

Please help spread the word - Help us raise money for Gavin.  Help us find a family for this sweet little boy.  

What we do matters - maybe not to the rest of the world - but in the eyes of the Lord - Priceless.

Matthew 25: 40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’