Hunger is MOTIVATING AND MOVING

These past three days have been days of thought, prayer, and movement in my heart. Prompted to be in a constant state of prayer for Micah David and the children in our Ethiopia program, I decided to fast until noon each day and to give up sweets entirely until we pass court. I thought this would be easy. It has not been.

Each day I wake up aware of my hunger. I never used to be hungry in the morning. Now, when I awake, my growling tummy is the first thing on my mind. And so I pray. When I make Devon his breakfast I long to take a bite. And so I pray. When my mouth salivates as I watch Devon eat a cookie in the grocery store, I pray. I have been doing lots of praying.

My momentary, minute hunger has taught me a few things. First, it has taught me to appreciate each meal. It has also taught me to be thankful that my belly has NEVER been hungry for longer than a few minutes. It also has made me feel helpless. Hunger is not a feeling that you can push aside. It remains, despite all efforts to forget it.

My hunger has also brought me closer to the hunger that Micah David and his birth mother must have felt each day until he was relinquished. This hunger is what she still feels each day. It is because of this hunger that she gave up her child. I cannot imagine what she felt during the days that he was with her as she watched her son starving to death unable to help him, unable to meet his needs, unable to keep him alive.

I was MOVED by the most recent post at the following blog.
http://ourunveiledfaces.blogspot.com/

This family adopted their son Levi through our organization. This is what happened when Levi saw a photo of an African orphan.

"Levi became so upset. He said, "Oh, no, oh, no--baby hurt!" over and over. So, to comfort him I told him that we can pray for that baby. Well, he stopped right then and stood in front of the picture, folded his little hands in prayer and began praying from his 20 month old heart for the child in front of him. He prayed, "God, baby hurt--give daddy...and mama...and AAAllle (Elle) and NaNa (Nash) and MattMan (Nash's friend, we love as our own). And he prayed that over and over, then he said, "No starvin God" and threw his arms in the air "Amen!"

It never occurred to me that Micah David might remember his time of struggle. Levi does and will always remember hunger.

My prayer is that we will all respond as Levi did to the hunger problem of this world.

"NO STARVIN GOD!!!"