By Your Side.

I worked with the babies today! I love them so much! It makes all of the cold, homesickness, and bad coffee worth it! (Luckily, I don't have to deal with the bad coffee much longer because I have an amazing Mom that sent me the good stuff!)

Aaron, one of our "big boys," was crying non-stop all day! He was sick earlier this week and I think that he still wasn't feeling 100% today. He just didn't know what to do with himself. I held him and he cried. I put him down and he cried. He sat in my lap and if I moved at all, he cried. I had to hold him and stand in this certain spot by the window and rock back and forth in order for him to stop. I felt bad because Susan had to keep doing all the other stuff with the big boys, but she told me it was ok because keeping him from crying was a job in itself. In the middle of it all the song By Your Side by Tenth Avenue North came on and I came up with an interesting connection.

Part of the lyrics are "I'll be by your side wherever you fall, in the dead of night whenever you call, please don't fight these hands that are holding you. My hands are holding you."That is how I felt all day. When Aaron fell, I'd pick him up. When he cried, I would try to soothe him. He would get in fits like he was mad at me and would push me away, so I'd give him space. Less then a minute later, though, I would reach my hand out to him because he would still be crying. Isn't that the way God is with us? He's our strength and comfort. Sometimes we push Him away, but He never really leaves. He opens His hands to us every time. We can always cry out for Him and He'll be there.

This is why I am here, to show these babies the love of God our Father. Luckily, I had great parents who showed that to me, but these babies don't have that. Even if they don't understand, it still makes a difference. By the age of 3 children have a foundation and understanding of whether they will be cared for and loved. I think that everything up to that point makes a difference. I can show love to others because God loved me first. I am learning more about God and His character everyday. Through His word or random connections like today. I don't even know if it makes sense to anyone else. It could be one of those "reaching" moments where everyone else is just looking around trying to figure out a connection. But, for me it clicked. I am so blessed to be here.

BY YOUR SIDE -TENTH AVENUE NORTH

Why are you striving these days
Why are you trying to earn grace
Why are you crying
Let me lift up your face
Just don't turn away

Why are you looking for love
Why are you still searching as if I'm not enough
To where will you go child
Tell me where will you run
To where will you run

And I'll be by your side
Wherever you fall
In the dead of night
Whenever you call
And please don't fight
These hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you

Look at these hands and my side
They swallowed the grave on that night
When I drank the world's sin
So I could carry you in
And give you life
I want to give you life

And I'll be by your side
Wherever you fall
In the dead of night
Whenever you call
And please don't fight
These hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you

Cause I, I love you
I want you to know
That I, I love you
I'll never let you go