This morning i read the opening passage from the book of Ruth in the Bible for my daily reading (or quiet time as it is also called) – Ruth 1:1-18.
It speaks of the life of Naomi and how misfortune had befallen her; her husband and sons died, leaving her and her two daughter-in-laws, Orpah and Ruth, without a hope for the future. It is a well-known story among Christians; it shows how the faithfulness of Ruth to both her mother-in-law and God brought them blessings and a future.
But the point of the reading today was not the faithfulness of Ruth, although it is important. Here was the statement which grabbed me.
For the author of Ruth names are significant. In Hebrew culture to know a person’s name is to know their character: the name is the person. It was terrible to have your name destroyed; it left you as if you had never existed.
Who knows us better than our Creator, the Lord God Almighty? No one. God knows us; He knows our emotions and what we do each moment, He knows our hopes for the future and the number of hairs on our heads, He knows our name – our character, our very being.
Now this leads me to think about two little girls, both of whom i only know as Arina Y. and Arina P. And that is not even their real names. i don’t know their real names – that has been kept a secret to protect them.
i think very few people know their real names, let alone know who they are or what they are thinking or what makes them happy. They are orphans, deemed unworthy by the society they live in because of their disabilities.
They need a mummy & a daddy, maybe a sister or a brother to come and get to know them, to love them, to show them that they are worthy and they have a future.
Arina Y. just turned 4 this month (just like my lovely Heather whose birthday is also September). 4 is the age when a transfer to a mental institution is likely to happen. When that happens, her chances of getting adopted and having a fulfilling life is very slim. This sweetheart has nothing wrong with her except she has Down Syndrome, which is a very manageable condition.
Arina P.is 6 years old and also has Down Syndrome. She also has a number of other conditions: kidney issues, various allergies and is far-sighted. All treatable conditions if she lived in a country with better medical care and a loving family to help her through life. i’m not sure if she is in an institution already but from the very short hair in the picture, it is likely she is not in a very good place.
These precious girls need a family to come and bring the home, to give them the care every child deserves, to be given an opportunity to grow into the wonderful people i know they are.
Join me in praying for them, for their daily needs and most importantly, pray for their forever families to find them.
Looking at their pictures, don’t you think they would be a great addition to a family? Are you their family?
You can also help by donating to their adoption grant – go to their profile page on Reece’s Rainbow (click on their picture or name) to donate. A larger grant helps their family to reach them faster.
Do also remember my lovely Heather and my little Heath.
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