Invitation to Prayer from Faces of Children ... TODAY

Faces of Children is an ecumenical prayer ministry under the auspices of First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas. Our mission is to initiate ministries of prayer for children in churches, communities, and neighborhoods. In doing so, we seek to provide an opportunity for people of God to join together, learn about children and their needs throughout the world, and celebrate Christ's love (especially as it relates to children).

Invitation to Prayer, TODAY

Hi Friends,

I look forward to our prayer time together this Wednesday at 11:30, in the gym conference room at First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas, followed by lunch.

Also on Monday, April 25 from 11:30 to 1:00, we are hosting the founders of NightLight International, Annie Dieselberg and Natalie Shirley, for a free luncheon to discuss sex trafficking; including how to recognize potential targets and provide support and services to victims. Please RSVP if you would like to come to this free luncheon by replying to me by Tuesday.

Also, Faces of Children is now on Facebook ! I invite you to like our page so that you can see regular stories, prayer needs, and updates from partner ministries.

Thank you!

Carrie

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Dear Intercessors,

After recent earthquakes, please pray for the children of Ecuador and Japan who are injured, homeless, orphaned, or simply scared by the world moving under their feet.

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I wondered how long it would take my daughter to realize she had only one ear.

Less than three years. I admit to being a little surprised. For some reason, I thought I had longer...

Stunningly beautiful with raven black hair, porcelain skin, and perfectly almond-shaped eyes, Alea catches people's eyes wherever she goes. Strangers often comment on how she looks like a doll... it is the single most common comment we get. And truthfully, I agree with them. Her features seem so perfectly crafted she hardly looks real.

But Alea doesn't yet understand how beautiful she is... what she does understand is that everyone else she knows has two ears, and she only has one. And as her mama, her grief about this difference caught me completely off guard.

She pointed at my ears one day, "Mama, one - two ears," she said. "Daddy, one - two ears; Sissy, one - two ears." Then with a sigh, she pointed to her own ear and said, "Alea, one ear. No two ears. I sad." Her shoulders slumped, and as my little Drama Queen is prone to do, she let out one more sigh for effect. And though I'd imagined this moment before, it totally caught me off guard and my eyes burned with tears.

We are doing the best we can to raise her with the knowledge that what makes a person beautiful is what's on the inside... our kindness, gentleness, the way we respect and treat others are the marks of true beauty. We tell her and her sister every single day that they are smart and kind and beautiful inside and out. But the truth of the matter is, she's 3 years old and she's figured out she's the only one in our family who has only one ear. And that makes her sad.

Walking through this with my daughter has me thinking about kids like her. In looking for resources to help Alea grow more comfortable with her difference, I found a doll company that specializes in custom-making dolls with differences. (Side note: some church groups sponsor dolls! That might be a fun service project for a small church group.) As I scrolled through their sample page and thought about how each doll represents a particular child, I began to realize just how many differently-abled little kids there really are around us.

Courtesy Photo

All around the world are kids with one ear, one hand, a missing leg, fingers that didn't form quite properly, or something else that makes them feel like they stand out from everyone else. Some of these differences mean their childhoods don't look like others; they can't run the baseball diamond or play the piano. And for some you may never know what they are missing. Some of them have families who work hard to make them feel accepted and loved and whole, and some of them were discarded, shunned, and despised, left on their own to make sense of a world where not all babies are born with ten fingers and toes. But no matter what they can or can't do; no matter how loved or unloved they feel - the truth is no one likes to stand out, and each child has to come to terms with their difference.

My girls are both so young right now. And at 5 and 3, we aren't yet to the season of life where kids are exceptionally cruel under the monkey bars. But those days are coming. And I'm praying for a generation of moms and dads who raise their kids to be inclusive and kind to kids who are different. And I'm praying for strength to shepherd my own daughters well through seasons of life when they don't fit in. And I'm praying for kids who dread the walk home from school today because they know they will be taunted and tormented by mean bullies. And I'm praying for the kids who've been subjected to such abuse that they are questioning whether their lives are worth living anymore.

I'd like to invite you to join me in praying this week for the kids around the world who can't run and play with their friends. Let's pray for the ones in the wheelchairs and the ones who are missing a hand or an ear or a leg. Let's pray for the kids who feel unloved and unnoticed, and for the ones who feel like they stand out for all the wrong reasons. Let's pray for miracles of kindness to take place in the lives of hurting kids, and for every child to know they are precious and perfect in His sight. And may we be ambassadors of that kindness wherever our lives take us.

Sincerely,

Carrie

Carrie J. McKean
Faces of Children Director
First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas
(432) 684-7821 x153

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If you have prayer requests about children, those who care for them, those who have authority over them, or those who harm them (the really hard prayers to say sometimes), please send them to info@facesofchildren.net