Last night we received a picture that was taken in January, 2008 at the Kid's Care Orphanage in Ethiopia. In the picture, sitting side by side, were 2 boys who in 6 months would become brothers and would become our sons. Seeing the picture struck me with overwhelming force. In January of 2008, I didn't know that these 2 boys were alive and they certainly had no idea about me or Dottie. In January of 2008 they were just 2 more forgotten orphans in a sea of orphans. In January of 2008 they were just 2 boys wondering what would happen next? Would they be in the orphanage forever? Would they have a family? Is there any hope? In July of 2008 everything changed for those 2 little boys. They were no longer in the orphanage. They now had a family. They now had hope.
I sometimes forget that my 2 boys were ever in an orphanage facing a future of great uncertainty. I often forget, except in a very abstract way, that there are still little boys and little girls who are sitting in orphanages today, just like my 2 boys were in January of 2008. Sometimes I forget but I, make that we, must never do that. But simply remembering does no good if it does not move us to act. Let us not have a child waiting in the orphanage.
