Growing Weary

This past week, I've been struggling to not grow weary in doing good. When it is a worker's day off at Casa Hogar Douglas, I'm there to cover for them and take care of the kids. I agreed to do this 3 days per week and cover 3 different dorms. I know how exhausting it can be to care for these sometimes very difficult children all week. I learned first hand how important a day off is if one is to appropriately have the patience to love these children 24 hours a day when I lived at Douglas this summer. The desire of my heart is to see these kids receiving loving care everyday. It's critical that workers have a day off and time away from the kids to recharge. So this year, I've made that my mission. Last week, somehow that turned into me covering for 4 different dorms. To the kids, I'm sort of like the fun grandma who comes when mom leaves and brings fun movies. They taunt kids from the other dorms and brag that I'm watching them that day and not the other. Guess that makes me feel loved? These kids need some attention.

I have to admit, I'm exhausted. I show up at the children's home at around 5:45 am to get the kids ready for breakfast and school and I come home to my apartment between 8 and 10:30 pm. I've found myself complaining in my head about how I'm tired and should be sorting donations or responding to my emails or actually eating or resting because I've been sick for a few days or that maybe I dont actually like all these kids so I shouldnt be there. It's all lies. 100% lies from the enemy. When I had to go to the states for 2 weeks to raise support for this upcoming year, I cried almost everyday because I missed my kids so much. I still get upset when I have to leave the kids at the children's home and drive away for the night. Yet at times, I find myself growing weary.

Weary is often how these full time children's home workers feel. Most are single moms who ended up at the children's home after unfortunate life events, not by choice. Pretty sure that wherever you are today, there is a single mom near you who could really use a pick me up and some help. Maybe you could offer to watch her kids for the afternoon so she could nap or run errands.

"We must not grow weary in doing good for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." - Galatians 6:9

Please say a prayer tonight for the workers at these homes - for their energy, patience, ability to rest and pour into these children. They are my heroes.