Sunday, January 1, 2012

Featured orphan- sweet Marcia

Dear Readers,
 It is a new year! I can't believe it. 2011 seemed to go by so quickly... and yet here we are! Happy New Year, everyone!
 This is my very first blog post to feature just one (it's so hard to choose!!) orphan from Reece's Rainbow Adoption Ministry. I will feature one each month with the hope that his mommy will be reading this! But even if you aren't a featured child's mommy or daddy, I just ask for you to remember these and the millions of other orphans around the world in your prayers. (By the way, I have had this written for a while, but waited to publish it until today, January first! haha yes, I'm goofy that way. :))

 Her name is Marcia. She is four years old and a little cutie, isn't she? Here is her diagnosis:

'Marcia has a mild form of paraparesis, pelvic organs dysfunction, instability of hip joints; stemming from her main diagnoses — compensated hydrocephalus (treated with a shunt) and operated spina bifida.'
  Marcia can walk with help, and doctors have a good outlook for her future mobility. She is delayed in speech, and is being seen by a speech therapist. Also, Marcia understands commands and is very smart! She loves those who take care of her at the hospital, and loves to cuddle. Don't you just want to scoop her up?

  Marcia, though, doesn't have a mommy to cuddle with. She didn't have anyone to love her back to health after they put the shunt in. And after a hard hour of speech therapy, Marcia doesn't get to run into the always supporting arms of her mother. It is reported that she is failing to thrive at the orphanage. She would benefit from an adoption quickly. Do the words 'failing to thrive' rip your heart out as much as they rip out mine? Sweet, dear Marcia is longing for a family, but because of her diagnosis of Spina Bifida this may never happen. If it doesn't, she will remain bedridden for the rest of her short life, suffering in an institution.

  This past week (Christmas week) my friend's dad died after valiantly fighting cancer for a year. We went to the funeral and saw a lot of people we hadn't seen since moving from that side of town two years ago. Just being in that place, seeing all these people look so much older (imagine- while we were gone kids kept moving up a grade! :) ), and having one member of our little community missing made me realize just how fragile life is. We are so breakable. We are not guaranteed a tomorrow. Marcia is not guaranteed another birthday, and neither are you. So why can't we give it all away? Why do we hold our money, our time, our homes, from people in need? Why do we hold grudges when we could love freely?
  If I were to die tomorrow, I would want to know that my life had made a difference. If Marcia were to die tomorrow, I would want to know that she had had the best few years she could. And living in an orphanage is NOT the best way to spend your life. In fact- it kills it.

  Please, please, please- consider your life. Consider the commands God has given us, and consider the days you might or might not have. Why don't you give it all away for Him when you can? Let's let this new year be filled with crazy, insane, give-it-all- away moments for God! Why don't we bring Marcia home.
Your Blogger,
 Claire