The Orphan Whisperer

      Yesterday the lake water was calm. And she was super excited to swim.

      Today is a different story. 15mph winds give some waves.

      "C'mon! It's fun to jump!" The experienced kids say. But the girl who's never seen the ocean is skeptical. It's big and terrifying, and if she goes in alone, she'll falter and experience new trauma.


       Her daddy takes her hand and they let the water kiss their toes together. Giggling and squealing, he teaches the fun side of the potential danger.

       15 minutes later, they're holding hands and jumping when a wave comes. And it hits me: this is how he taught the 'experienced ones' when they were small.

       30 minutes later, and he's an arm's length away, and she's crouching and jumping in the waves. She's down, and he's holding and comforting and reassuring her. She's gained her courage back with some sweet words from her siblings nearby, and she's back in, ready to try again.

        This is how we take an orphan and let her grow into a daughter.

"So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God." - Galatians 4:7