Speak Life

“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”—Psalm 27:14 (NIV)

“Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.”—John 14:23 (NIV)

“Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest.”—Luke 9:48 (NIV)

We adopted a boy named Ahmed from Ethiopia when he was 20 months old. He came to us malnourished, with parasites, grossly underweight, and sick with a persistent cough. He was hitting, biting, and screaming nonstop. From the start, it’s been a physical and emotional—but mostly spiritual—battle for Ahmed’s life.

Ahmed is about to turn 13, and we can’t say that it’s gotten easier. While he’s physically recovered, Ahmed is often angry, abrasive, disobedient, and defiant. He’s gotten into so much trouble at school that he has had juvenile charges pressed against him. Despite going to church and living in a loving home where he hears the gospel constantly and is surrounded by Christians, Ahmed stubbornly denies that he needs Christ. He claims that everything bad he does is someone else’s fault.

A few years ago, we started praying in Ahmed’s room while he was at school and hanging copies of Scripture verses on his wall. Every night he tore up the verses and threw them into the hallway. Since he can’t rip up spoken words, we began reading Scripture to him, believing that God’s Word has the power to break through Ahmed’s walls. Our boy used to put his fingers in his ears and yell while we were speaking, but most of the time now he listens and sometimes even acknowledges our words.

It’s difficult to wake up every single day and step onto a minefield the minute my feet hit the floor in my own home. We have to choose to love and not give up on raising a child whose goal in life seems to be making our lives a living hell. My job is to mirror God’s unfailing love and provide a home that is a taste of heaven here on earth. We’re trusting that God will give us what we need to persevere. One day this child’s powerful passion and energy will be claimed and used for the kingdom.