I am grateful to see the sun. It seems it has rained for weeks. As I walk out my back door, I witness the many signs of spring –– the Bradford pear trees in full bloom, the daffodils, yellow and white, dotted around the yard, and the fresh green of new grass. As I leave the house with coffee cup in hand and an extra spring in my step, I think, “This is going to be a great day filled with promise.”
I watch the Mills Home children make their ways to the school bus stop. The smiles on their faces indicate they are excited to see the sun, too.
I watch and listen and I am grateful for the laughter I hear and joy I see.
I am reminded that their journey has not always afforded them these special moments. For many of the children who come to Baptist Children’s Homes (BCH),their journeys have been very difficult.
Stop and remember with me another morning journey –– one of the most famous in the Bible, the difficult journey of Mary, Mother of Jesus, and Mary Magdalene. Their grief was raw as they walked to the tomb of Jesus. I cannot begin to imagine how Jesus’s mother felt after watching her child being crucified.
“And very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, ‘Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?’” –– Mark 16:2-3
You can imagine the anxiety. They needed to tend to the body of Jesus, but how could they reach Him, how would they enter the tomb to care for Him?
“But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. ‘Don’t be alarmed,’ he said. ‘You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him.’” –– Mark 16:4-6
The messenger shed a great light on the two women’s grief that morning. He has risen! What a message of hope and encouragement and truth! What promise of new life for us all!
For so many of the children and families who come to BCH, their journeys have been tenuous, too. They have encountered so many stones blocking their way. At times the weight of family issues, abuse, neglect, drug and alcohol addiction, domestic violence, and poverty have been too heavy to roll away. They have felt hopeless.
Many of our children will be making their journey to Jesus’s tomb this Easter season. They will carry with them the scars, burdens and hurts caused by circumstances far from their control. But because of you, they are not alone.
Some of my favorite words of inspiration are: “At my lowest, God is my hope. At my darkest, God is my light. At my weakest, God is my strength. At my saddest, God is my comforter.”
There is no hurt too big for the healing touch of Jesus. There is no problem too great for His wisdom. Nothing that has happened to us can prevent the love of Jesus from reaching us.
The messenger appearing before Mary, Mother of Jesus, and Mary Magdalene shared the good news “He has risen! He is not here.”
It is the message we proclaim. Through your prayers and support, you are a messenger of the transforming power of Jesus. Thank you for helping share the “good news” with our boys and girls.
In the past five years, you have helped 669 residents make their journeys of salvation, accepting God’s mercy through Jesus Christ –– thank you! And thank you in advance for all you will do as we continue to guide them on a new journey of faith and hope. Thank you for walking with us!
For more information on how you can make a difference in the life of a child, call me at 336-689-4442.