Making a Difference: Marla

Why?

                                          Marla

Why did my heart break when I saw her face?

Why is she always on my mind?

To be perfectly honest, I don't know how to answer those questions.

I stare at her profile pictures. My heart breaks every time I think about her. I imagine myself taking care of her. (By the way, this is all the time. 24/7)

I just love Marla.

I know there is a reason why I saw her profile the first time I looked through Reeces Rainbow. I know there is a reason why my heart melted the way it did that day. I just don't fully know what that reason is yet.

I't's moments like these when I wish I was older. I wish I was old enough to adopt Marla. I know I would adopt her (and Darina,) in a heartbeat.

I also wish it was that easy.

There is some good news about Marla. Yesterday I looked at her profile and her grant was at $88.00. This morning I looked at it again and it was at $98.00. Then, not long after that, my mom told me that she was at $103.00. Praise God! She's getting publicity and more people are seeing and advocating for her.

I looked at a blog post earlier today and the last sentence really hit me. It felt like a sign from God about Marla. I'm serious, the timing was perfect. Here was the sentence that I read.

It said: "You can make a difference to this one."

After I read it, I was thinking about the starfish poem. This is how it goes.

THE  STARFISH  POEM

Once upon a time there was a wise man

who used to go to the ocean

to do his writing.

He had a habit of walking

on the beach

before he began his work.

One day he was walking along

the shore.

As he looked down the beach,

he saw a human

figure moving like a dancer.

He smiled to himself to think

of someone who would

dance to the day.

So he began to walk faster

to catch up.

As he got closer, he saw

that it was a young man

and the young man wasn't dancing,

but instead he was reaching

down to the shore,

picking up something

and very gently throwing it

into the ocean.

As he got closer he called out,

"Good morning! What are you doing?"

The young man paused,

looked up and replied,

"Throwing starfish in the ocean."

"I guess I should have asked,

why are you throwing starfish in the ocean?"

"The sun is up and the tide is going out.

And if I don't throw them in they'll die."

"But, young man, don't you realize that

there are miles and miles of beach

and starfish all along it.

You can't possibly make a difference!"

The young man listened politely.

Then bent down, picked up another starfish

and threw it into the sea,

past the breaking waves and said-

"It made a difference for that one."

Wow! Isn't God good? His timing couldn't have been better. I know that I need to keep on advocating and praying for Marla until she's on MFFM. I can imagine myself jumping up and down until I'm out of breath because of happiness that she has a family. Do I know if I'm supposed to take care of her? No, I don't. But, if God wanted me to, and my family is supposed to adopt her, I would take care of her like I was her mommy. 

So, I'll leave you with this. Pray and advocate for Marla. And, if God is calling you to, adopt her. She needs to be adopted before it's to late and she's sent to an institution.

It would make a difference for her.