The Heart of an Orphan

I have looked into their eyes on many visits, but it wasn't until this trip that I began to see deeply inside their hearts...and they are broken. In fact, the pieces of their heart are shattered. Hopeless. They survive day to day without thinking about a future. They have no plans, because they have no choices. The unfortunate thing is that this hideous chain of events began in their earliest years when they were forced into abuse, most of it sexual. When this happened they shut down, because if they reacted, they were beaten or worse. Then, they were forced to live on their own after parents faded out of the picture. Some time after that the Mexican government forced them into an orphanage. From there they are forced to live amongst strangers. The orphan seems to appear as rebellious, when in fact, they are crying out to have a voice and be recognized as a hurting soul that needs healing. Orphans have had everything taken from them and they have retracted into a very hard shell. Why? Because that is where they are safe. If they begin to warm up, there seems to be a point when they will suddenly withdraw and back away. They lie, because that is safe. Survival has taught them that. Do they think about tomorrow's consequences? No, because they are just trying to make it through today. Often they hope tomorrow never comes since today hurts too much. I have heard that they are just a bunch of liars. I think the better description is that they are just a bunch of brokenness...because of sin. What is the cure, you might ask? Obviously God is in the business of restoring broken hearts. However, God often chooses to use people to help heal other people. Professional Christian counselors are amazing but often an orphan can't trust them to dig too deep in the beginning. I honestly think that when a church can gather around the orphan and restore trust, they can help to cultivate the soil in their hearts to receive the seeds of love that will begin to restore the trust that has been broken. When their soil is ready, then their brokenness will be ready to receive the wisdom of counselors who can help them sort out their past. This week our team tended a lot of soil The ground was rough and filled with rocks. But, with many hugs, kisses, and prayer, I felt like that the soil in their hearts has become slightly more receptive to the warmth of God's healing love. Do they still need Christian counselors, you might ask? Absolutely, but that is never an option because of money. Please help me pray that several trained professional Christian counselors would be called to minister to the orphans. After this visit, I am convinced more than ever that this is a very real need. It is important for them to be able to put together their past so they can live their future. I am home now. No cochroaches and no spiders in my room. I took a hot shower, slept on a comfortable bed, felt safe with my husband beside me, and have my comfortable lifestyle. My schedule is somewhat dependable as well. Today I should be content, but I cannot kiss an orphan.