At Church Today

Today I was at Church by myself. I really do loves these days. I can really concentrate on what is being said. My mind wanders anyway, and when I have one or both of my boys with me, I have to keep them in check too, so it can get hard for me to pay attention.

Yesterday my cousin was ordained a Deacon. The boys were with me there, and that was pretty rough at times. I am very lucky to have my brother, though. He is very patient with the boys, and he really helped us out (poor Don had Owen in the back of the Church most of Mass). The ceremony was beautiful, and I am just so proud of my cousin. I don't even have the words for how I feel. I am in awe at his faith.

It was because Jason was in Church yesterday (and Don too) that I thought they could stay home today. Owen came with me, and was in Sunday school, leaving me to enjoy my time at Mass.

The first reading was from Exodus, and was something like (I got this online, and it doesn't read exact, but it's as close as I can find in my quick search):

22Do not mistreat widows or orphans. 23If you do, they will beg for my help, and I will come to their rescue. 24In fact, I will get so angry that I will kill your men and make widows of their wives and orphans of their children.

Wow, pretty strong words. And they got me thinking.

I am not mistreating any orphans. I don't actually know any. I do, however, know about a whole bunch of orphans. And even though I am not personally mistreating them, I know of their mistreatment. And with that, I think I must be held accountable. I don't think God would be expecting me to somehow adopt them all, or even one of them. I do think that God wants me to help them.

How appropriate. I was feeling overwhelmed by all that I have to do - in many areas of my life. I have been trying to keep my priorities straight. And I have been working at getting the fundraiser organized and figured out. Obstacles keep popping up, and we keep figuring it out. Today's first reading was a message from God telling me that these orphans, that Jamison, is worth all the effort in the world.

I have a choice. Many choices actually. I can choose to cry (and cry and cry) at the unfairness of these children's lives. I can choose to ignore them (often people will tell me to just not look at Reece's Rainbow). Or I can choose to ACT.

I want to ACT. I want to stand up and shout from the rooftop that this is not fair. These children deserve love and acceptance, families who love them, food, hope, a future. All children, all people in fact, deserve this.

I really have to get going, but I want to leave a note for myself here to write about all orphans (not just those with down syndrome); and something for those with other beliefs than my own (faith wise).