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Monday, July 27, 2009

One father's trash is another Father's Treasure

Last Tuesday, my Alivia turned 8 years old.
Here she is with the beautiful cake made for her by my sister Michelle.
Three days later, this is the headline that greeted me when I turned on the computer...

I continued reading as the first paragraph containing the girls age made me gasp.
She too is 8 years old.

The four boys are ages 9 to 14 and police say they "brutally sexually assaulted her for 10 to 15 minutes". Sgt. Andy Hill called it one of the worst cases the department has ever investigated. The boys are accused of holding the girl down while they took turns molesting her.

Having my own 8 year old daughter, my heart had already gone out to this little one and then I read this:

Police said the girl's parents criticized her after the violence, blaming her for bringing shame on the family. All five children are refugees from the West African nation of Liberia.
Authorities said the victim was in the care of Child Protective Services after her parents blamed her for the rapes and bringing shame to the family.
"The father told the caseworker and an officer in her presence that he didn't want her back.
He said
'Take her, I don't want her,"
Hill said.

In her presence she was denied by her father.

Clearly this little girl did nothing wrong, but apparently that is not the way some think in the victim's hometown in Liberia, which is no excuse. Within a few hours this little girl went from having a family to becoming an orphan by her parent's choice.

The reason I share this is because I was thinking, what if Jesus responded to us like this?

Instead of telling the woman with the issue of blood when she reached out to touch Jesus' clothes, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."
What if He said: Take her, I don't want her.

Instead of telling the sinful woman who wet His feet with her tears, wiped them with her hair, kissed them and then poured perfume on them this, "Your sins are forgiven." and "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

What if He said: Take her, I don't want her.

Instead of telling the woman caught in adultery that the Pharisees brought to Jesus, "Go now and leave your life of sin."

What if He said, Take her, I don't want her.


Instead of telling the woman at the well when she asked for the living water He had told her about, "I who speak to you am he."

What if He said, Take her, I don't want her.


Unlike the father of this 8 year old, our Father wants us no matter what we have done or what has been done to us. He simply loves us and when we approach the throne of grace to invite Him to be the center of our life, whether its our first time or we are returning

He says, I'll take her. I want her.

In Beth Moore's He Is DVD teaching she said something that stuck with me so deeply about the love of God when I first heard it back on July 18, 2006.
I went and got the notes I took that day out of my desk drawer so I could quote her correctly.
This is what she said:

"God has welcoming joy over you. You have not gone so far or done so much that He does not welcome you home. That's why Psalm 118 begins with and his love endures forever because the psalmist that wrote it determined that if you could wear out the love of God I would've surely done it. Listen carefully and you will hear the joy and gladness of a God who says...welcome home!"

Knowing the things I have chosen to do in my life and the things I am capable of doing, it is a relief to know that I will never be denied by my Creator. He will always love me.


In His presence we are accepted by our Father.

Let's pray for this little girl and thank God that we are treated so much differently when we approach Him than she was by her earthly father. I know if Alivia was ever shunned by Gene for anything, my Daddy's Girl wouldn't be able to handle it.
I cannot imagine what lies Satan is feeding this child.

Thank You God for your enduring love and that You would never tell us we aren't wanted.
To be wanted and loved by a King is unbelievable. Please put someone that believes and knows this about You in this little 8 year old girls path so that one day she can turn this tragedy into nothing but glory for her Heavenly Father that has everlasting love for her.

I love you...I love you...I love you sweet Jesus.


~Many Blessings~

20 comments:

HisPrincess said...

I'm overwhelmed that the Lord wants me...

He has had more than enough cause to say "take her, I don't want her" but he never has.

I will pray for this little girl, that she finds a family who will love her and nurture her through the living hell that she must be enduring.

Anonymous said...

I'm in horrified shock. I want that little girl. I want her to know it was not her fault. I will pray for her. I am praying for her.

Paula said...

Goodness me! This is an horrific thing to happen to anyone, let alone an 8 year old child. My prayers are with this innocent little girl. Thank you for sharing this. Your words are spot on, and we are to be SO thankful that He did not abandon us. xo

Edie said...

Oh Lelia I am in tears for this little one. I am speechless. I am praying for her.

LOVE, MERCY AND GRACE...GOD'S GRACE said...

Oh, how my heart hurts for that little innocent girl....denied by her father, family for something she did not cause!!! Oh, how her daddy needs Jesus!!

But thank God, I have a FATHER who loves me unconditionally...even when I screw up and make mistakes....

~Beth

Anonymous said...

Oh, great post! Where I would be if Jesus had said to me "Take her, I don't want her." Thankfully, the reasons why he could have rejected me were the exact reasons he wanted me. He wanted me in my brokenness, that he could heal me and make me his. I love how he loved those that society rejected. What a sweet, loving Savior we have!

Andrea said...

How horrid!
I am thankful for a Heavenly Father who heals, restores, and loves me greatly. Andrea

PS: prayer request on arise 2 write

Danielle said...

I am in tears. My fingers keep stalling over keys because I don't know what to say. My spirit cries out for this precious [innocent] little one... I can only imagine what Our Father is feeling for her. How He must be hurting for her!

I wish I could wrap my arms around her right now and tell her that she is loved, that this will not define her, and that she has One who loves her enough to give up His own life.

Thank you for sharing this! And PRAISE GOD He wants me!

Sharon said...

Yes I know when I read this I felt the same, it's just horrible. My heart and prayers went out to the little girl when I read this.
I am so angry at the family for treating her like this, that I immediately began praying over them..
Praise God for the Love he has for me.

Beth Herring said...

That story just made me so angry and then so heartbroken for that precious child.

Love this whole message here today.

I have those same DVD's and LOVE them!

Susan said...

Lelia,

I read this article and was HORRIFIED.

More at the parents reaction then the offense committed to this precious child. (God forbid...my heart breaks for her too.)

What a great post.

I'm so blessed Jesus said "I'll take you" 33 years ago.

Love you♥

Laura said...

Oh, Lelia. What a horrendous story. Heartbreaking. That poor sweet child. We can only pray that she will know the love of the Father who will never abandon.

Love you, lady.

valerie said...

What a heartbreaking story. My prayer is that she will be placed in a loving Christian home and will be shown love and most of all be taught the love of THE FATHER who will never leave her or forsake her. Bless her heart.

On a lighter note....I love Alivia's cake. Kristen had a Barbie doll cake when she was around 8 years old that a lady in our church made her.

Happy birthday to Alivia!!

Paula V said...

That is a cake? It is great...reminds me of a mini version of what they do on Cake Boss.

You should have seen my face/mouth while reading this...I kept opening my mouth literally in shock. Shock that such young boys are doing this to a precious child. Then, shock that her parents blamed her. It's NO excuse but when I read their location/heritage, I kind of understood. It makes no sense to us. But then neither does the people in China giving up female children.

I, like your prayer, pray that something absolutely fabulous and marvelous turns out for this girl. May God use this girl in spite of her pain and abandonment. May blessings upon blessings shower her for His glory...all to see the treasure He has in this precious one.

Thank you for sharing this. Abandonment and rejection are the worse emotional pains having experienced them myself. I can't imagine this young child's pain but can only hope that she is resilent through God's power.

Love,
P

Anonymous said...

I too read that article and was praying for the little girl. I pray she knows that she has a Father she can turn to for anything!

Kelly L said...

incredible, thought provoking, and tissue worthy post...
I am without words.
Love to you.
Kelly

Tea with Tiffany said...

Lord, provide a loving home for your precious abused girl. You've created her for a purpose. And love is one of them.

Thank you for this hard to read post. But the beauty is you pointed us all to the One who never fails to love us. Our Father in Heaven.

God bless you and your sweet family!

Deb said...

Abba,

Let this baby know that you want her. Want her so much that You sent Your Son. Your only Son. To die for her.

Speak to her hurting heart. Her humiliated heart.

Embrace her broken body. Violated body.

You understand the hurt. The humiliation.

You understand brokenness. And being violated.

You know it better than anyone else.

Wrap her in Your loving arms.

Whisper gentle. Tender. Love words to her sadness.

Heal the hurt. Take her pain.

Precious baby.

Precious Lord.

In Jesus' name.

Rachel Olsen said...

What a touching post.

Missed you at She Speaks!

Carol said...

I can hardly take this in. Praise God we have a father who wants us no matter what.

Hope you are doing well. Still praying for you!