Blessed

Sitting in church this morning and listening to the choir sing "Blessed is He Who Comes in the Name of the Lord," I watched as our children's choir processed in waving palm branches. Members of the congregation were craning to get a glimpse of these precious children walking by, and their parents were beaming with pride. I even saw one of the grown-up helpers squatting as he processed in so that he would be the same height as the little ones. I have always loved watching the children sing and worship in church, but this Sunday in particular, I just wept. I could feel and see how much our church family loved these children; the love filled the room. And my mind went to Asher and his friends at the orphanage. They have no forever family to shower them with love this morning. They do not know what it feels like to have a community pledge to help raise them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Oh, how I wanted to have Asher with me and to hug him close. Oh, how I long for him to have his forever family!

If you are reading this, will you please pray with me for the children at Amani this morning? Will you please pray that just as God used His power to raise Jesus from the dead, He will use His spirit to comfort and build up these children? That He will put a hedge of protection around them? That He will give the workers at Amani a double portion of His blessing today? My heart aches for these children who are alone, but not as much their Father's heart.

"I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." (John 14:18)