"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart." -Helen Keller

What I'm about to write has weighed heavily on my heart for quite some time. I've started to write this blog several times, then decided to delete it because I was afraid of how it would be perceived by others, how it might be taken the "wrong" way, that it might come off as "preachy" and that is not my intent. It isn't about judgement, it's merely what I've thought, felt, and observed over the last month and half. So here goes...maybe I won't delete it this time...

The easiest way I can think of to describe how I've felt since being called to adopt (I truly believe that adoption is a calling, not merely a decision) is to compare it to the movie Schindler's List. That might sound extremely grim, and morbid, but let me explain...those of you who have seen it will know what I'm talking about. Near the end of the movie, Schindler, who has secretly helped to save several Jewish people from being killed during the Holocaust by essentially *buying* them, has a breakdown when he is given a present by the people he saved. A golden ring, made from melting down a gold tooth. He looks at the ring, and asks "How many more could I have saved with this?", he looks at his possessions, his car, etc...and instead of counting their value in money, he counts their value in terms of how many people he could have saved by sacrificing more of himself, more of what he had, etc.

When I think about Reece's Rainbow, about Natasha, about the innocent faces that stare back at me every time I look at the website, I can't help but to have my own "Schindler moment". I ask myself "what more can I be doing?" or "Why did I just blow $20 on something I didn't really *need* instead of putting that money in a child's grant fund?"

When I look at the waiting children on Reece's Rainbow, I see a lot of questions in their eyes too.

"Are you my mommy?"

"If you aren't my mommy, will you please help me find her?"

"When will someone FIGHT for me?"

There are so many people fighting for these kids...so, so many people. I've had the honor of getting to know some of them and let me just say, I've never met hearts so pure. People are working tirelessly to bring these children home, to find their mommies, to BECOME their mommies, and it's a beautiful thing.

But, it isn't enough. MORE people need to do their part. MORE people need to get in the trenches and WORK to bring these children home.

Raise money, repost pictures, cover an adoptive family with prayer, look at these children and NEVER forget that they are out there, don't let them remain forgotten.

It truly breaks my heart to see people plead for $1 donations on behalf of a child, yet the child's grant fund, chip in, FSP, etc stays stagnant. It doesn't move....

A dollar.

One dollar.

What can you even buy with a dollar nowadays? A pack of gum? Can you even get a pack of gum for a buck anymore?

It boggles my mind...to deny a request of a single dollar to a child who's life hangs in the balance, quite honestly, breaks my heart. Maybe I'm a bit "tender hearted" on this matter since I'm adopting myself, and I have an inside view of how expensive and stressful the process is, and I've heard inside stories of what these kids deal with on a daily basis. I fully understand that people are not going to be as emotionally invested in these kids as I am, but still...at the end of the day...it's one dollar...how emotionally invested in anything or anyone do you have to be to dig some change out of your couch cushions, ya know? Imagine if EVERYONE gave one dollar to a child in need. If you posted on your facebook, or twitter, or blog requesting ONE dollar to any of the kids in need, and EVERYONE actually gave a single dollar...how much money would that be? How many lives could we save?

Before anyone stops reading because they feel like this is  nothing more than a plea for funding, there is more to the story. It isn't all about money. In fact, in my opinion, it has very little to do with money. Somehow, some way, the funding will show up when it needs to for the families who have been called to adopt. To me, the most important thing is EXPOSURE. Get people out of their comfort zones, rip those blinders off and make them look, make them SEE what is happening in the world.

147 millions orphans

Children being abandoned to die in asylums at the age of FOUR

Children being overlooked, forgotten, because they have down syndrome, HIV, CP, etc

Children living their entire lives never knowing love

This is really happening, and to know that it's happening, and to turn the other way and do absolutely nothing about it is shameful. It truly is. There is so much you can do, it isn't all about donating your money, if you don't have money, donate your time. Dedicate time to pray for these children, for the person out there in the world somewhere who was BORN to be their mother but just doesn't know it yet...repost blog links, Reece's Rainbow waiting child links, get their faces out there, make people LOOK at the children who NEED them. Have a carwash, have a yardsale, have a bakesale, whatever it is....DO SOMETHING!

I challenge everyone who reads this blog to make it a personal challenge to DO SOMETHING for these kids. I know most people who read this know me personally but that does NOT mean that you have to "pick" Natasha to fight for. Of course I'm partial to the baby girl I call my daughter, but that does not mean YOU have to limit yourself to her cause. There are SO MANY kids that need a WARRIOR in their corner, a prayer warrior, a fundraising warrior, maybe someone reading this was meant to call one of these kiddos their son or daughter...please, take me up on this challenge, don't sit idly by and watch as others fight for these kids...get in the game! It will be the most rewarding thing you'll ever do, I promise you that. Reece's Rainbow was started by ONE person who wanted to DO SOMETHING...and look at what she's done, over 500 kids home. What an awesome legacy. Every single person has the ability to have a similar legacy, all you have to do is decide that these kids are worth fighting for. That's all! So please, fight for these children. They need you more than you know.

Look at these faces, SEE THEM for what they are, kids...they're just little kids and they are facing hell on earth. That is not an exaggeration, that is a cold hard fact. Institutionalization at just 4 years old. Preschool aged children, facing a future in an asylum, where most of them will DIE within the first year they are there. Look at their faces, then let your mind go to the deep dark place you are trying to avoid. See the TRUTH, the DESPERATION of their futures.

DO SOMETHING.