Fields of the Fatherless

Last night after dinner here at the Gages, my friend Carol picked me up and we went and had a coke at Sonic. We sat in the car and talked for 3 hours like high schoolers. It was an incredible time to catch up on our lives. Carol and her family came to us when we first arrived at the Riverside church and said, "We want to be those people that you can call anytime to watch Michaela." Michaela was only 8 months at the time and they meant what they said. We started working here in January 1997 and David's birthday rolled around on January 18 and they kept Michaela the first time. The relationship developed from then and as she states, "Michaela is half hers." After we left Riverside, we did not keep touch like we planned but such is life. Last night was a sweet time!!!

During the conversation, Carol mentioned the book Fields of the Fatherless and asked if I had read it. I had not, so she proceeded to give me a copy out of her trunk. She has a box of probably 50. Her life has been dedicated to social work with a special emphasis on Adoption and Grief therapy for children. She is a specialist at developmental psychology and other child focused disciplines. I got back to the Gages and we visited for a few more hours and then off to bed.

I just had to crack the cover of the book and begin reading. Once I started I could not put it down. I read about two thirds of the book and then made myself go to sleep. It is powerful. The basic premise is the idea of living within the will of God for us to live compassionately to the orphans, widows and aliens. It is the unfolding story of their adoptions but the big picture is applicable to many situations where "pure religion is serving the disenfranchised."

I have 4 more classroom hours this morning to finish up my class. Wish I had gone to bed a little earlier. But hey, sometimes sleep is over rated!