So much has been happening that -- I felt myself going a bit off kilter.  Right I am watching a pre-911 drama of events leading to our current crisis.  The terrorists developed bombs for airliners.  The simple purpose was to kill lots of innocent people.  Men, women and children, it just does not matter.  What is it with the people of this world?  People intent on bringing pain and death, even to innocents.

I found this scripture tonight:

Psalm 10:13-15 (New International Version)

 13 Why does the wicked man revile God?
       Why does he say to himself,
       "He won't call me to account"?

 14 But you, O God, do see trouble and grief;
       you consider it to take it in hand.
       The victim commits himself to you;
       you are the helper of the fatherless.

 15 Break the arm of the wicked and evil man;
       call him to account for his wickedness
       that would not be found out.

The evil men -- and women -- of this world just do not realize the heart the eternal Father has for his children.  All around the world people are beating small children.  They are sending them out begging for alcohol money.  Children are sleeping in sewage and darkness.  There is war everywhere.  Economies are crumbling and lifestyles are becoming more and more confused.   The confusion of priorities clouds our direction.  There is so much darkness we cannot find our way. 

Three weeks ago I was sitting quietly next to a fourteen-year old girl.  I was writing and she was curled up watching, "Brother Bear" with her friend from the streets.  For a couple of hours I played the part of a daddy to Nastya, a girl who has lived on the streets since she was four.  When the movie ended Nastya and her friend sat sobbing for about fifteen-minutes.  I patted her headed and tried to bring some sort of comfort to the sadness that was stirred in her.

Now I am back to my reality.  People calling me for projects, for favors, for assignments and little of it having anything to do with Shepherd's Purse.  Today I began feeling overwhelmed with the tyranny of others urgency.  On top of that I have a cold or something and a bad ankle.  I feel like I am falling apart...losing my footing...losing sight.  

Then this evening I realized my reality again.  It is Jesus in those streets.  It is the fatherless.  It is the child I hugged only three weeks ago.  Tomorrow night I speak on their behalf.  I have decided tomorrow morning to be quiet again.  I will work on my book about the street kids and quiet my spirit.  When I walk into that meeting tomorrow night, I am an advocate.  It is not about me.  It is about them.  And that is enough.