Thursday, September 9, 2010

A note from Lily's orphanage


Dang Ning Li was found abandoned by the road about 10 meters west of Social Welfare Institute of Qingyang City at 8:00 on October 12, 2001. She wore a colored cotton coat and wrapped by a little red and blue quilt. The person who found her reported her to Wenquan police station on the same day. They tried to search her birth parents and relatives, but no one claimed her. After she was brought to the institute, an abandoned announcement was published in a local newspaper called Gan Newspaper. Still no one claimed her. She was then adopted by the institute.

It's hard to believe that after 9 years of living in an orphanage that you'd be able to smile like this now! When I think about Lily I think about how she doesn't know what's she's missing. Does she even understand what a family is? Does she even know a world exists outside of those four walls? I really don't know. But for some reason, she smiles! And she laughs. And she loves! She loved on me that week, and I on her. She cried when we all left that week. She yearned for love and attention and fun!

And then I think about the things we complain about sometimes here in America. About how the parent at school never waves at us when we pass her in the car. How our food at the restaurant was NOT the right temperature and we demand it to be! How the light only stayed green for 5 cars in rush hour. Or how the blinds in the guestroom are so ugly and we can't sleep until we get nice new designer ones. Or better yet, how we got mistreated as a child and felt unloved. Or how our dad never came to our football games when we were a teenager and we will NOT forgive him.

Do we really have a right to complain? Lily's not complaining. Don't you think if anyone has a right to complain in this world then a special needs female orphan in China that hasn't had a relative to love her in 9 years would??? But I guess we shouldn't compare, right? Cause everyone has pain. And everyone goes through junk in their lives. And everyone is important and so are our feelings.

But...doesn't Lily sure help our perspective on life. I mean, if you are reading this, you probably live in America. Reason one to be grateful! We could have been born in another country and left on the side of the road a day old. And most likely we have at least ONE person in our lives that loves us completely and truly. Reason number 2 to be grateful. And if we are a follower of Christ and have been redeemed from Hell....need I say more?

Perspective....it's all how we look at it. What we compare ourselves to. What we expect. And our attitude.

There is no greater perspective than God's. And what do you think He thinks when He looks down at me in America, with people all around me that love me, and I have so much, yet I'm still trying to get over the offense from eight years ago. Or if I'm complaining that I don't have baseboards in my safe, happy house. And He gave His only Son to die for our freedom, for our salvation from Hell. Hmmmm. What would make God happy?

I know. If I was as grateful as Lily. If I loved like Lily. If I smiled at each new day like Lily. And found joy in sorrowful circumstances. I want to be like Lily. I have a feeling I'm gonna learn a lot from my new daughter.

2 comments:

sara said...

I can't wait for the Lessons from Lily to start

the Zimels said...

Beautiful.