A Prayer for Us, the Poor

My little family of five?... We are below the American poverty line.

But we eat organic food.

We have internet.

As my pastor said a few weeks ago, when he was preaching about how rich we(our church/Americans) are, "even our poor have air conditioning."

I don't know that all the American "poor" have air conditioning, but I like to keep the AC at a nice and comfy 77 degrees(it would be 75 if my husband would let me get away with that). I do not sleep well in the heat.

I can afford the $3.49 gasoline to drive to visit my family/church/work about 4-5 days a week.

In one of my three family vehicles.

Yes, all three vehicles are at least 10 years old, but they run well(thanks to a handy husband and generous, skilled cousins!). They all have AC too. And they are all paid off... so I count that as real wealth... not "credit card rich".

I wear contacts so I'm not worse than legally blind all the time. My vision is a hazy 20/425. I remember going into the optometrist the first time at 13, being asked to read the smallest line possible, and saying "... that's supposed to be a big 'E' at the top of the chart, right?..."

I can afford a new $3 toothbrush for each of us every three months.

I have an iPhone with a data plan.

I have no idea what it means to be really hungry. Even when my pantry is "empty"... it isn't really empty. I have no idea what it means to be dying of thirst, or dying because I drank filth out of the desperate need for fluid. Filtered water was a "must have" before we moved in.

For crying out loud, even my plants get filtered water. Don't judge me.

I have no idea what it means to truly be unloved. 

I hear "I love you" every day... from the tiny sweetness of the toddler to the steady faithfulness of my husband. Don't get me started on my massive extended family. I'm so loved, and have that love expressed to me so well, I always just want to adopt people into my family. It's mayhem (and sometimes bordering on insanity) when we're all together, but truly, but there is abundant love and grace.

If you are reading this... will you the same few moments it took you to read this blog to pause in your day, and click over here to pray for these sweet children by name? These real kids who actually know real hunger on every level? The poverty of love boring holes in their guts? Just say a prayer that they will feel the deep, deep love of Jesus that is vast, unending, boundless, free?

Or click over here... and pray that these kids, who have been waiting so long(the number of days are right above their precious faces)... that their hope will not be deferred and their hearts will not be sick because they haven't been selected to be sponsored?

Kids notice when they're left out.

If you have children, encourage them to pray with you? It is a good thing to be heart-broken over the broken hearted. And kids know how to pray for other kids. They don't get caught up in what sounds pretty or spiritual, they just say it like it is. 

My kids teach me about prayer every day. They pray for hearts and feelings and miraculous ends to without-Christ-impossible situations. They pray against loneliness.

Loneliness affects everyone who has the ability to love. These kids are old enough to experience deep loneliness. 

Praying with you today with a full belly and a full heart... 

"LORD Almighty, LORD Most High... 

Thank You that You are great enough to meet every need. 

Thank You that You care deeply about every single one of our aching hearts. 

Thank You that You alone can cure, satisfy, free us from every kind of poverty. 

I pray You would free us from our habitual self-focus. I pray You would open our blind eyes to You so we can become more like You and love like You do. 

I pray these children... Christopher... Moises... Mercy... Fraicol... would know TODAY, THIS MOMENT that You are with them, You SEE them, You deeply care about their worries, their loneliness, their hunger, their life and heart wounds. 

I pray that You would bring them sponsors. 

I pray that their parents, if they have them, would be patient, kind, and will invest in them today. I pray they will have mentors and leaders to show them examples of Your faithful, unchanging, tender love. 

I pray they would learn Your voice above all the other noise... and follow You.

In Jesus' name, Amen."