Father's Day!

6.19.16
Happy Father's Day from Zambia! We celebrated our fathers, both earthly and eternal, today in church. Although the Tree of Life children have no true earthly family to claim or care for them, joy still filled the Legacy Center today. Powerful joy for our Father above, the Father to the fatherless. Greer mentioned that the heart of a father desires three things: to protect, provide and prepare. What a blessing to have a father back in the states who strives to do all three for me every day in additional to the watchful eye of my Heavenly Father. 

Today, I switched up my seat arrangements and sat with the boys of Redeemer's House. I sat next to an eleven year old boy named Simon, a sixteen year old boy named Ruiz and a 20 month old boy named Alec who sat in Ruiz's lap. Alec's adorable looks and hilarious behavior were uplifting to witness, but what was really uplifting was watching a sixteen year old boy act as both father and brother to Alec. Alec came to the Tree of Life by way of his older brother, Benjamin. Benjamin's situation came to the attention of Family Legacy about six months ago. Further investigation led to the discovery of Benjamin's brother. This is the youngest child ever brought to the Tree of Life. Benjamin is only four and half years old himself and resides in a different Tree of Life house. So the boys of Redeemer's House, especially Ruiz, have accepted the responsibility of little Alec. Today, while thinking of my earthly father, I watched a sixteen year old protect, provide and prepare a 20 month old child who was not his blood relative.

It is the small stories like this that make up an organization named for the legacy of family. These children have witnessed hardships that I will most likely never encounter for the rest of my life. Yet, they continue to exemplify the unconditional love that our Heavenly Father has for every one of us. Ruiz's actions today showed me the actions of a godly family, as he took off and then promptly put back Alec's shoes as Alec demanded. 

Jeremiah 31:3 says, "The Lord said to Israel: 'I have loved you, my people, with everlasting love. With unfailing love, I have drawn you to myself'". That is the love of our Father and our fathers on earth. It is unconditional. No strings attached. No matter how many times we ask for our shoes to be removed and then put back on, it will be done out of love for us. 

So give your earthly father an extra hug and a kiss today, as I cannot do for my own. (I have a virtual one planned .... see below!) Thank them for the unconditional love that they give each day. Thank God for the precious gift of your earthly father. Most importantly, don't forget to celebrate our Heavenly Father as well.

Today in Photos and a Few Words:
I made a Father's Day sign today and passed it around to the children in the Tree of Life. Each child's individual snap was compiled into a college below. (Unfortunately, the photo quality is low as the editing application requires more internet to save higher quality.)