My heart breaks for the children of this world; not just the starving ones in El Salvador or the homeless ones in Haiti, but even the hurting ones right here in my neighborhood.

Within the last two weeks, my 10-yr old daughter has had two friends show up at our door with some serious issues. One girl came with her dad, grandpa, another friend, and her guardian to discuss an alleged rape to the 10-yr old. During this discussion, the father of the supposed rape victim starting yelling at her and harshly grabbed her and pulled her into his face, knocking things over. Just a short week later, another classmate of my daughters showed up on our doorsteps with no shoes in the snow and tears that her mom had just kicked her out.

After the initial shock of these events wore off, the tears of empathy fell. I asked my family, “Why these little ones? How can there parents do this to them? I just can’t fathom.” But instead of taking a judgmental path, I chose to take the understanding path. I understand what it is to be lost, to be at my wit’s end, to have never been taught better, to be hurting myself. I understand that they are lost. Until I found Jesus, I was parenting the same way, repeating generational parenting techniques. Even now, as a believer I struggle with relationships (esp parenting), I’ve sent my son to live with someone else for a week, I’ve lost my temper, yelled and said things I didn’t mean. I’m no better than these parents, the only difference is that I have Christ in my life.

I’m so grateful that through my Lord & Savior I can now provide a home where people (aged 10 to 100) can come for safety, ears to listen, hearts to care and shoulders to bear. It hasn’t always been like this though, my childhood was full of the above type of circumstances (abuse), but I didn’t have a door to knock on.

DISCOVERING: How to be there for people across nation borders, as well as at my doorstep.

BECOMING: HIS hands and feet