Good morning…
“Dear Church Family,” began the November 5th letter to Northside Church members. Rev. Angela House, our Director of Missions, explained, “The state of Georgia currently has over 11,000 children in foster care. Many of these children carry deep emotional and behavioral scars from the trauma they have endured. Murphy-Harpst Children’s Center stands in the gap for Georgia’s most vulnerable—offering not only residential and foster care, but also a chance at healing, stability, and hope. For children in foster care, stability is more than just finding a bed to sleep in. It’s about belonging, healing, love, and opportunity.”
The very same week, Miranda in our therapeutic community group held at PAWkids, read to us the poem she wrote about her struggles in the foster care system.
“This story—heartbreaking as it is—is not fiction,” read Angela’s letter, highlighting the plight of another child in the foster care system. “It is the reality for many children across Georgia. But through the transformative work of Murphy-Harpst, lives are being transformed every day. This Christmas, you have an opportunity to be part of that transformation. We invite you to visit the Christmas trees located in the Narthex and Gallery and take three or four ornaments. Each ornament represents a child at Murphy-Harpst. Simply scan the QR code on the ornament, fill out the requested information online, and return your ornament and gift (in a gift bag) by December 7.”
I love this annual outreach opportunity for our families at Northside Church, a chance to wrap and share the love of God. The wounds are deep and the generosity is wide. Yesterday, December 7th, the joyful gifts rolled in, piling high.
On Christmas morning, each child living at Murphy-Harpst Children’s Home will receive two or three large red bags bearing their personal name, bags filled with clothes fitting their own bodies and gift items holding their own Christmas hopes. The love of God blossoms in many forms. This annual giving opportunity for the families at Northside Church is a tangible expression of God’s healing love, year after year after year.
Thanks to all who generously gave and to all who are investing an immense amount of time and love to orchestrate the meaningful magic!
There’s a lot of suffering to be entered into in this world—the kind of suffering Christ takes on. I welcome the chance to take my share in the church’s part of that suffering (Colossians 1:24b, MSG).
…Sue…
P.S. To learn from the firsthand experiences of children who have felt the love of God healing their wounds at Murphy-Harpst, please watch the touching video on their website.
P.S.S. Just making you aware, the photo of Miranda as an adult and her raw, honest poem were both used with her gracious permission.
