He Makes No Mistakes

"You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit how I was sculpted from nothing into something"

The cab driver had a hard time finding the small side lane the orphanage was located on. Last year, our group was let off on the highway at dark and we walked a mile through the small lanes filled with factory workers and merchants. CARE EE drew quite the stares, then and now, as little children ran out into the street to get a glimpse of a real live "Soo-chow" (clown in Chinese)

The gate to the children's home was locked with a padlock and chain, so we waited in the street and tried to get someone insides attention. The director soon came out with a huge grin to let us inside. As we walked into the courtyard the joy began - the little ones started running toward us - waving, laughing, smiling - their excitement could not be contained!

"You watched me grow from conception"

One of the happiest to see me was a little 5 year old girl who tightly embraced my legs - looked up and laughed out loud. I have seldom seen more joy at my arrival. When she finally let go of my legs long enough for me to move indoors, she held up her hand to act as my personal escort.

I grabbed hold of her deformity without hesitation. Her palm had 2 fingers crumpled together and a stiff nub where her thumb should be. She was quite adapted, as I would later see, to using what God had knit together, the best she could.

After photos and frame decorating the children settled down and sat on the floor in from of me watching the tricks, remembering their amazement and asking for another story. I told them about the "Little Apple Tree" and how it was hard to be different. While they are still too young to grasp the full meaning of the story - they did understand the "praying and waiting" more than most.

I looked across the room at their broad smiles, I saw their tender hearts and a readiness to receive and experience joy and love.

From the world's eyes, they have no reason for any hope. They have been abandoned because of their physical birth defects: cleft palate, club feet, mangled hands, dwarfism, cross eyes, conditions that in the West are easily correctable. Here, in a country that strictly enforces the one child per family policy, it makes these children disposable.

"You formed me in my mother's womb"

Faith: when confronted with the material reality - it is looking in the face of inexplicable tragedy with the belief and the ability to say "God is good all the time." God saw the mother's and father's who would leave these children for death at worse or to a life of abandonment at best. AND GOD - knit them together. I told the children "God doesn't make any mistakes." He never forgets their name or where they live. He is watching - and He delights in them...

...as do I.