Sometimes you read a story and are completely blown away. Sometimes it makes you examine your own life. This is a story like that.
On Tuesday night Sumini, my littlest, randomly asked me before bed where her dad was. This was a funny thing to ask since I have never known her dad. Sumini’s dad abandoned her shortly after her birth. Her mother, blaming Sumini for her dad’s departure, severely neglected and at least, verbally abused her. Sumini came to live with me a year ago when she almost died from severe untreated malaria. Now, I was not about to tell my 5 year old that her dad had left because he didn’t want to care for her, so I just said that her dad was very far away where we couldn’t see him. She told me she wanted to pray for her dad and I thought that sounded like a great idea. But when she prayed, Sumini didn’t pray for God to bless her dad as I had assumed she would, she prayed that she could SEE her dad. Oh, boy, I thought. Again Wednesday night she prayed that she could see her dad. I will admit, I was a little angry this time. I have given her everything she could ever need or want. Her dad abandoned her when she was born and hasn’t so much as attempted to see her. If not for me, she wouldn’t be alive and her dad wouldn’t know or care. “Ok, shut up,” I said to myself. What could you possibly have to be jealous of, after all, she’s 5; she doesn’t mean anything by it!
Thursday morning a man showed up at my gate....
