emotions and street kids

A few weeks ago I was getting very upset over the children’s plight of Zambia.   We have children who come to our gate and ask us for help on a regular basis.   It is wearying on the emotion.  I was beginning to think of them as my own and it was driving me to the point of breaking.  I felt myself growing cynical and course. I told my mom... “Mom, I would NEVER kick Amira out on the streets!”  She said very calmly and firmly “Myranda, you have to remember Amira is your child, these are NOT your children!  You have to shut your emotion off and turn your discerning ears into the Holy Spirit. What does God want you to do?  If it is to simply give them an egg sandwich and a hug, then do it, but DO NOT do more that what God has told you to!”  The only thing that the Lord has been clear on for Luis and I is to go on the streets every wednesday and sit with the kids.  THAT’S IT!!!!  Out side of that I am only spinning my wheels and asking for burnout to come to my door step.  The City Market bus terminal is our fox hole!!   

It is easy to take on a burden for the lost and hurting that isn’t ours to take.  We have grace to sit with the street kids on Wednesdays.  We have the grace to walk away from the streets at 10:30 and go about our day.  We can go and be with Amira, Hannah and Brooklyn and know that we have set and good example to them of walking in obedience for them to follow.  We walk away with a sense that we have done EXACTLY what God has put into our hands to do, that we have been perfectly obedient and that He is pleased!  However, we DO NOT have the grace to take on more than that because the Lord hasn’t given us the go ahead to move out of our respective fox hole.  

Bearing all this in mind, today’s out reach was a hard one for me.  There was a young boy there whose face looked like a cheese grater had been taken to it.  I wasn’t able to get a clear picture of what actually happened to him.  One side of his face was covered in scabs.  Then there is Chileshe.  (say it like it is spelled)  She came today higher than a kite and seven months pregnant with her second child.  Talk about FRUSTRATING!  While I was attempting to talk to her I kept getting flash backs to all check ups (something like 12 per pregnancy) during all my pregnancies and the gallons of pre-natal vitamins I took.   

Here is my point.  By no means do Luis and I feel that we are the solution to the street children issue.  We are simply being obedient to God’s call and walking forward.  But the question arises “HOW!?”   We believe that the next step needs to be a store front or a bus where the kids can come and get feed, both spiritually and physically.   Would you please pray that we are listening to God’s direction?  That we don’t get our selves entangled in a good idea and not God’s idea.  In the mean while, would you please pray for Luis and I to stay in unity.  We need to fight back to back...get me?  Please pray for our children’s protection!  This work is only going to be as effective as the prayers that go into it.  AMEN!?