Arise 

Forgotten smiles and hair as unruly as their imagination. Shattered pieces of a broken childhood. I am afraid that if I open my heart, their sweet little hands will grab it and never let go. The loss of innocence is a spark that if not contained will soon become a wildfire. Their eyes are so pure, searching for love in the arms of strangers. They don’t know any different. The truth settles like a fine mist. Neglected. Abused. Forgotten. Every tear is a canvas reflecting the abuse and pain that is more common then getting a good meal. The gunshots fly across the sand, blending in with the very grains that are the foundation for their playground.
I hold one little girl in my arms; her once sparkling eyes have slowly faded. She runs her hand through my hair, looking, searching for a small piece of hope amidst the heartache that has so unfairly called her by name.

The other girl tightens her grip on my hand, as if she is trying to prolong the inevitable. Trying to run from the fact that no one ever stays. No one wants her. Her life is as meaningless as the pieces of hidden glass scattered in the dirt that makes up her front yard.

When are we going to wake up from this disillusioned reality that has become a comfortable safe haven. God doesn’t pick and choose favorites; His love is reckless and full of passion.

God doesn’t just see a girl that’s heart is slowly fading, He weeps over His child, crying out for justice to be the welcoming arms that sweep in and pick her up, wiping her tears away and using them to water the dry, dusty and cracked road.

When will we stop using our sympathy as an excuse for not taking an action? God didn’t make you a key so that you could sit in a dust old attic trunk hidden behind wall after wall of insecurity, fear and selfishness.

You have the power to unlock nations, to ignite heart after heart and yet you sit here, scrolling through your social media as you pray to God that He will send somebody to do something.

You close your eyes at night, letting the thoughts of those kids fade into darkness. Once again forgotten.

Listen to me. Stand up. Arise. God wants to use you; His heart is beating for those children. He is just waiting for your heart to align with His purpose. He is light and in Him there is no darkness, but when you truly seek Him you will find that you are the lantern in the dark forest. You have the answer, the key that fits perfectly into those hearts that have long since felt the breathe of life coursing through their veins.

Why would you stand by and watch when you were made to fight their battle? The time has come for us to be a generation that activates love instead of sitting on the sidelines. The spark in your heart is the fuel for generational change; you have the voice and courage to look at a wilting flower, a heart without purpose, commanding it to breathe again. Why would you remain silent, when your voice holds the freedom that their hearts crave?

Your heart has been softened, the flowers are blooming as they beckon you to go deeper in Gods love so that you can in turn be the water that washes over broken hearts and hydrates the lives of the depressed and those forgotten. In just one breath you can reignite purpose and inspire a generation that knows how to love and be loved.

Don’t let your passivity be the fuel for their hopelessness because love is the reason you are alive and you were made to be the hands and feet of our King. So take your passions, dreams and talents and hold them in open hands as you cry out here I am send me. Trust that God will take them and turn them into a beautiful story of redemption and saving grace as He uses you to activate a generation that will be known for their love.