I'm participating in a link up with a fellow Reece's Rainbow Prayer Warrior, Renee. My post today will be how I invision Natalee, the child I will be writing about, in the future. So, come with me and imagine this sweet girl in 5 years, home with her forever family...
Natalee squeals with delight as a friend spins her wheelchair around one last time. As the music fades out, she feels her wheels begin to slowly come to a halt. Her heart slows and she just sits there smiling, unable to contain the joy of her moment! You see, Natalee has just finished her first ballet production. They performed "Cinderella", and she was one of the dancers at the ball- and also a little mouse! Natalee may not have been able to say how she was feeling, but everyone around her knew how much she loved them--and ballet! She loved to don her pink tutu (even though the tights were difficult) and to grace her orthotics with dainty ballet slippers.
But even though all that was wonderful, her favorite part was the music. She would sway and gracefully swing her arms to the music whenever it played. She absolutely loved music. Her mom thought music was the best therapy for her, and played it constantly.
They giggled at "Silly Songs with Larry the cucumber" together, and her mom spun her around to Tchaikovsky's famous Nutcracker tunes. Her mommy heart ached for those years when Natalee lay alone in the orphanage with no music or loving care.
As Natalee's friend, Sasha, skipped down the stage in time with Natalee's speeding wheels, Natalee heard her parents gasp. She was afraid, for a moment, that something was wrong. Her parents were so precious to her...she hated for them to be sad. Her fears were soon put to rest, however, when she felt herself being enveloped in a huge hug from Mom, who was crying and saying "You were amazing! Just beautiful." Next she was crushed in her dad and brothers' grasps, relishing the fact that she was loved.
Natalee had spent 5 long years in an orphanage..but now she was home.
Oh, how I long to take Natalee's hands and help her dance, twirl, and spin! I pray that she finds a forever family who will help her soar to new heights.
But as cheerful as this story is, for Natalee there currently is no Mommy to love her or ballet productions to take part in. Right now Natalee waits.
Step with me into a gray room, a few years from now. I'm going to introduce you to Natalee, and what her future looks like today. Yes, that is her, the pale, thin child lying in bed with haunting eyes and almost no hair.
She is 13 years old...yet the size of a 6 year old. She wishes she could reach out to you...please help her!
She doesn't know a loving hand. She is neglected because there are simply too many kids who need care- no time to pamper any of them. And by pamper I don't mean long bubble baths. I mean frequent diaper changes. Natalee hasn't had a diaper change since yesterday morning. She shivers as she lays in wet, sticky sheets. Her nose is runny, her feet are cold, her bottom is sore. Her stomach feels the aches of hunger and malnutrition. Sweet Natalee has no one to hold her, or sing her to sleep. She doesn't cry, because no one would hear, any way. She just lays there. And she waits.
Please help change Natalee's future...please pray that this precious daughter of the King will not have to endure any of this horrific nightmare.
And if you are her Mommy or Daddy...please come bring your baby girl home.
Your Blogger,
Claire
