What comes to mind when you think of Africa? Perhaps a few things are tons of wildlife, mud huts everywhere, orphans on every street corner or the AIDS epidemic out of control. What else comes to your mind? Are there any specific individuals? It is difficult to be deeply moved when we think of things in mass numbers. Our minds just cannot fathom 210 MILLION orphans in the world. But when we look at the one in front of us something happens. I’d like you to meet a little girl who has touched my heart. Her name is Miriam.
We were out on our morning house to house evangelism this past Thursday morning in Busia. We went around to a community of mud huts close to our house. A few girls and I went over to talk to some women and children sitting in the shade, but no one spoke any English. We noticed a couple children lying on the ground, but that’s not uncommon at all. We moved on to another home since we weren’t able to communicate well. As we were talking to another woman at her home, a lady from the first group came over when she saw we were praying. To show her persistence and desperation, she went and found our translator on a field next to the homes, told him about sweet Miriam and asked if we could come pray over her.
Miriam is a young girl, about 7 years old, with her whole life ahead of her. She was lying on a small square foam pad under the shade. We were told she usually lies inside all day, but today she wanted to be out with the other kids. The lovingly persistent woman told us her mother abandoned her and their community has been raising her. To make things more intense, Miriam has been sick since last June. She was taken to the doctor months ago and they said she does not have enough blood. Because of this her immune system is down and she had developed some sickness in her chest. Because of the language barrier we do not know the exact condition she is in… but it is not good. This child has been abandoned, left in a poor community, and is deathly sick.
We sat there with sweet Miriam praying over her, singing over her and holding her. We sat there commanding the orphan spirit to leave and asking the Father to come fill her with His love. We sat there knowing our God is big and she needs a big God. We sat there to love on a girl who has a future to glorify her Father and drink deeply of His love.
There is so much more for Miriam than a life of abandonment and sickness. That is actually no life at all. The Father loves Miriam. He has not forgotten her and will never abandon her. He sent His Son to give her life and life to the fullness.
We are only human, but good thing our God is a big God. He is big enough for Miriam and 210 million others like her. Will you commit to speaking life over Miriam? Will you share her story? Although we can’t comprehend the masses, we are moved by the one. This is only the beginning of Miriam’s story. The rest of her story is to be filled with life, love and joy in Jesus’ name! Will you be a part of lifting her up to the Everlasting, Never Failing, Healer Father? When Jesus was moved with compassion there was always an act after that. Are you moved with compassion? Will you move on behalf of Miriam?
Deuteronomy 10:18 – He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing.
