100 years.

My heart is broken. Broken for orphans. For children whose parents cannot take care of them, usually by their own selfish choices. Why? How? They have such a beautiful chance to love a child, raise him or her up in the knowledge and love of the Lord. Instead? They choose to ignore them, or abuse them, ultimately place their own preferred pleasures over their precious, uniquely designed children.

I work with orphans. Three days a week I spend the afternoon with children whose parents are either totally uninvolved, or just completely unable to raise their child. Sometime I'll write a blog about the incredible organization, called Palmer Home for Children, and how I ended up there (total God story), but for now, just know that I intern with them and help with various needs, like picking up and dropping off kids at their activities around town or playing with the younger ones on the playground. It's basically an absolute dream. I'm very grateful.

Today I was teaching Jayden (5) how to swing. He has, er... very little patience. :) I showed him how to kick his legs and rock back and forth, but he insisted that it wasn't working. I said that if he kept practicing, he would get better, but he wouldn't hear of it!

"I don't want to learn - it will take too long. Just push me!"
I asked him if he knew the word "patient."
Jayden retorted, "Yes, and it's very annoying."
Fighting laughter, I explained to him that patience is good and that he could use patience while learning to swing!
In his best dramatic 5-year-old voice, he exclaimed, "It'll take 100 years!"
"No it won't."
Somehow, between his exclamation and my answer, he switched subjects and stared up into my eyes and asked, genuinely, "It won't take 100 years to see my mommy again?"

Jayden arrived at Palmer Home last week. I don't know his exact situation, but I did my best not to cry in front of him. What do you say? He is only 5, and he is distressed because he thinks he may not see his mom.

For 100 years.

At 5 years old, this week may as well have been 100 years.