Addicted to Ink

Thursday, June 21, 2007

God of Love

Katie was walking along the dusty African road, carrying her infant sister on her back in a sarong when she was spotted by an orphanage worker, “Sami”.

Sami was unsure how long that Katie, 3 1/2, had been caring for her sister. But the infant was healthy and in obviously well-cared-for.

“Instinct,” Natalie told me as I rapidly jotted notes as the stories tumbled out of her. She, Dave, and I were meeting at Bob Evan’s and suddenly embarrassed when the waitress brought us our large plates of food.

Natalie spent nearly a month last summer in Zambia, and I was interviewing her for a project I’m working on.

Natalie, I told her, I’ve never met a person your age with so much “it” factor. It’s true. She’s phenomenal. If I told you all of the amazing things about her, you wouldn’t even believe me. But they’re all true.

The other story told me… Nat, a tiny little thing, confessed this morning that she has struggled with eating disorders in the past. While in Zambia, one day they were working in an AIDS clinic. Her job was to record the weights of the patients there.

“Seventy-six,” she would call out.

“Eighty-two.”

The numbers swirled about her… as her life was changed forever by these disheartened people who were slowly watching themselves waste away into nothing.

“Ninety-one,” she called. That was the heaviest person she weighed.

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By now, I’ll bet many of you have heard the national news story of the missing pregnant woman in Canton… Mike has been around it 24/7 this week, with little rest. It’s so big, so hard to get our arms around! Last night, I was with him for four hours at the ‘suspect’s’ house as the SO and FBI searched it.

They’re searching with cadaver dogs today and have had a few devastating leads. Everyone in our area is heartbroken over this case… and even more so to know that it happens every day, in nearly every city, despite all of those who don’t make the news.

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And Nhu… (http://www.remembernhu.org/)... I’m on the board now & we’re trying to bring Nhu to America. Her family is in debt again and are threatening to SELL HER BACK into the sex slave trade. I can’t even imagine. Carl & Laurie desperately want to adopt her… we just need to work through the immigration mess to get her here.

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Last year I was interviewing one of my heroes, Celia for another story I was doing about service-learning – she’s now the director of service-learning here.

“Some say we should only serve those here in America, because that is where we are,” I began my question. “Others say we should only serve overseas, because that is where true need is. What do you say?”

“There’s no end to need,” Celia said, “It’s never inappropriate to relieve suffering. But it is appropriate to both begin and end right where you are.”

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I am a bit emotionally overwhelmed today… can you tell? God is expanding my heart at the same time as my belly. But God has a plan for my little one. My little world-changer. I just know it. I pray it every day, that my baby will be one who changes the world, who knows God, who loves God, who loves justice and mercy. Not because of me. It has nothing to do with me.

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Life is so big right now. But nothing is too big for my God.

God of Justice. God of Love. God of Mercy. God of Love. God of Canton. God of Love. God of Zimbabwe. God of Love. God of Ukraine. God of Love. God of Malone. God of Love.

God of Big. God of Love. God of Small. God of Love. God of Suffering. God of Love. God of Joy. God of Love.

God of Katie. God of Love. God of Sami. God of Love. God of Natalie. God of Love. God of orphans. God of Love. God of AIDS victims. God of Love.

God of Jessie. God of Love. God of Jessie’s family. God of Michael. God of Love. God of Rescue Workers. God of Love.

God of Nhu. God of Love. God of Carl. God of Love. God of Laurie. God of Love.

God of Celia. God of Love. God of Nations. God of Love.

God of my baby. God of Love.

God of Amber. God of Love…

1 Comments:

Blogger chocolatechic said...

Amber, I am not seeing much about the missing mom in the news. I am sorry that the leads are not positive. I know that this is close to your heart. Hugs.

3:53 PM  

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