Reality Check

You know those moments that happen every so often that give you a good taste of reality? Those moments that make you stop, and think about your life, and realize it's not that bad...

My sister and I both had moments like that this weekend, at different times and in different ways.

She had been going through a bunch of baby clothes to donate to Romania. I was looking through the clearance section of Sears on my break trying to find great bargains. And we both struggled. Both of us, as we looked through the clothes and saw things such as "My Mommy Loves Me" or "Daddy's Little Girl" or "Grandma's no. 1 Guy" we were both given that reality check. These kids don't have mommies, or grandmas, or daddy's to rely on.

How many times do we complain about our families? How many times do we roll our eyes at our parents who "just don't understand"? How many times are we annoyed by our aging grandparents who sometimes get confused even though you told them the same story 6 times in the last 20 minutes?

But these kids don't have that. They will grow up, for many of them, never experiencing the love of a parent or grandparent. They will grow up wonder why they weren't good enough, or what was wrong with them that no one wanted them. And that reality breaks my heart.

And as a mother, it broke my sister's heart in a different way, a way that I don't yet understand and don't feel qualified to write about. But her heart was broken, too.

So the next time that we are quick to complain about our parents rules or the 32nd time trying to explain your job to your well-meaning grandma, stop and give yourself this much-needed reality check.

I am struggling to put words on the page to describe the work that God is already doing in my heart, the way he gave me a strong dose of His reality, so I will just end this post by saying...

May our hearts be broken for the things that break His.