"A person's a person, no matter how small."

(While I do realize that this is out of the realm of anything that I would normally blog about, this is something that has been on my heart and I felt compelled to write about it.)

Tomorrow, is Dr. Seuss' birthday.

Today, in classrooms all across the world teachers are dressed as Thing 1 and Thing 2.  Kids are celebrating by having green eggs and ham at lunch and reading "Green Eggs and Ham" and "The Lorax" during read aloud time.  It's a day that we celebrate this lovable character who made a historic impact on children's literature.  Children across the nation love the sing-song rhymes and unforgettable characters that come out of his children's books.

My personal favorite and the inspiration for this blog post... "Horton Hears a Who!"
"Horton, the lovable elephant, tries to protect tiny creatures on a speck of dust."

In this book Horton (the elephant) is going about his day when a tiny speck of dust floats past him and he hears the smallest noise.  Horton believes that the speck of dust is inhabited by tiny and microscopic people and that it is his duty to protect them at all costs.    Of course, the bad guys, don't believe Horton and they try to destroy the speck.  To make a long story short... The book ends with the entire tiny Who village banding together to shout over and over again, "We are here! We are here!"  All of the other characters realize that Horton was right and the speck of dust (and tiny Who village) are saved.

It is during the fight for the speck that Dr. Seuss penned the words that have touched my soul.
"A person's a person, no matter how small."

Over the last several weeks my heart has been burdened by the number of children who are tossed aside like garbage all over the world.  My heart and soul have wept (literally) over the little one's that no one wants.  The more research that I have done the more overwhelmed that I have become.  I recently woke up crying one morning because of those that I felt unable to save.  All of this has led me to ask two very important questions.

1) Why aren't these children wanted?
2) What can I do?

Why aren't they wanted?  I look at my own little one's every Sunday and Wednesday and feel overwhelmed with the joy that they bring me.  I look at my sweet boys and can't imagine life without my Piglet and his two older brothers.  Why aren't they wanted?  In many instances, so many children are simply seen as an inconvenience or a financial burden.  American's want to live a life of fun and they don't want to be saddled down with an infant requiring them to get up every two hours to feed and change them.  Many perfectly healthy children aren't wanted because they wear that Extra Chromosome like a badge of honor.  They may have Down Syndrome or another disability.  They are considered to be socially unacceptable and they are tossed aside.  There are many more reason's that I haven't listed here.

Are these good reasons?  ABSOLUTELY NOT!

Denying a child the right to live a full and happy life simply because they are an inconvenience, or because they have Down Syndrome, or Autism, or simply because someone doesn't want to be bothered is a violation of human rights at the very most basic levels.

Over the last several weeks my eyes have been opened to the tragedies that takes place all around the world every day.  I have wept tears of sorrow as parent's describe the situations from which their adoptive children came, and I have wept tears of joy as I have seen the transformations of children who are now in loving homes with loving families.

That brings me to this... What can we do?

Oh, how I have agonized over this question.  Some days I wake up feeling like Superman.  I know that I can change the world.  Other days, I fall tiredly into bed and think I'll have to try again tomorrow.  So, what can I do?

I can make a choice to no longer be ignorant of the tragedies regarding human life that take place all over the world.  I can choose to watch the news.  I can choose to pick up a newspaper.  I can read blogs.  I can educate myself on what children face all over the world.

I can make a promise to never look at a child with disabilities as anything less than perfect.  When I see a child with Down Syndrome or other disabilities I see pure perfection.  I will praise Jesus for these precious children who are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139) just like everyone else.

I can pray every day that these children who are tossed aside like garbage will feel the love that only a Heavenly Father will bring.  I can pray that heart's will be opened to adoption.  I can pray that caretakers will feel led to stay an extra 30 minutes one day to hold a baby who has never been held before.  I can pray that parent's will no longer see this children as an inconvenience but as a blessing.

I can consider adoption.  (Something that I will do one day in the future)  So many of these children simply need someone to look past what's on the outside and love them.  Love and kindness can go an extremely long way.  There are children all over the world (1.5 million in Eastern Europe alone) who are desperate for a family to love them.  If you are unable to adopt, you can give to someone who is.  Adoption is extremely expensive and every donation helps those who are making that step.

I can sponsor a child through Compassion International (http://www.compassion.com/default.htm)  ensuring that they receive proper nutrition, medical care, and education.  I can give to Reece's Rainbow (http://reecesrainbow.org/).  An organization that provides grants to those who are adopting children with special needs.

Never again will I see any child as anything less than perfect.
I will be the one to fight for those who the world is ignoring while they scream out that, "We are here."
My arms will be arms of love for those that no one wants.
My voice will be the one quietly singing in their ears that they are loved.
My voice will be the one advocating for them from the mountaintops.
It will be my knees that are knelt in prayer.

Because after all... "A person's a person, no matter how small."