Pleased...

Before I even begin to tell this story, I want to make sure you know that my intention in telling this story is not in personal glorification. In fact, it isn't even in an attempt to edify those involved in it. I tell this story for reflection, to dream about what our world would look like "if."

Several months ago I received an email from a CASA advocate. This woman is a volunteer, and she has several families assigned to her by this agency. She does what she can to identify the needs of these children, and then uses her agencies resources to meet those needs.

Her first email to me was full of questions about the summer Day Camps we run at our church. She told me who she was, and that she was looking for a way for these girls to be able to have social interaction with others through the summer. She also expressed a need for their guardian (their 75 year old great grandmother) to have some down time as she has custody of six children under the age of eight.

So, I returned the email. I informed the advocate that we would love to have these girls attend as our guests, and that money was not a concern.

These girls were different. Not in a way that most kids would notice, but all of my volunteers noticed. Clothes that just didn't fit right, or weren't quite that clean. Surprise and gratitude that there was as much food as they desired.

The other difficult catch was that their great-grandmother does not have transportation. So, their attendance was dependent upon arrangements their advocate made for them. Most of the time it was their neighbor, sometimes a family friend.

One afternoon, I decided to ask the neighbor a couple of questions about their situation. She told me that the girls have never really known their mother. She would come around a couple of days before she was to give birth, have the next baby, and then leave. She told me the last time she came around, had a baby, and left, the great grandmother had to turn the baby over the foster care system. That child is seven months old.

You know, there is a life ahead of these girls that I can not even begin to fathom or relate to because my own life has been so easy.

But I do understand one thing; these girls are as important to God as the family that will walk into your church and hand over a check for $50,000. He authored salvation for both. His mercies are for both.

And so, these girls will also be joining us for soccer this season. Someone has already given the money for their scholarships, even though I know our church would have covered their registration as well. A Real Life group is working on new school clothes.

In the last email I received from their advocate, she expressed a continued amazement at all the ways our church has reached out to help this family. She pleaded with me to share her gratitude with everyone who was desiring to invest in these girls.

The whole situation has left me with a wide range of emotions.

I believe that I was blessed to have seen all the interworkings of this situaiton. I believe God is immensely pleased.
Pleased that life was valued enough to be given the chance.
Pleased that family is larger than bloodlines.
Pleased that love has not been limited to the walls of a church building.
Pleased that others have known His love and showered that Love on these precious girls.

What if churches across our nation responded to the needs brought before them, not expecting anything in return?

You see, sometimes I wonder if our sacrificial acts of mercy and kindness don't have a hidden agenda. Like, perhaps they make us "feel" better, or perhaps our kindness will lead to a new church home, or even we have the pure intention of helping one discover salvation.

But what if we loved with no strings attached?

Would our love introduce others to a Savior?