Christmas Eve

Its 8:00 PM and we have just returned from the Christmas Eve service at our Church.  Maely wore her new Christmas dress and although she was very self conscious, it was plain to see that she was pleased with the way she looked.   As soon as we got home, she wanted me to print the attached photo so she could give it to her grandmother that raised her. 

At first it was very difficult to get a good picture of her because she would either hide or make faces at the camera.  As I am writing, I realize for the first time why that is...she has such a negative self image that she either avoids getting her picture taken or intentionally distorts her features to hide the "Maely" that she is ashamed of.   Since Maely arrived for the Christmas holidays just over a week ago, we have seen the full range of her emotions and we are beginning to see just how deeply she has been impacted by 12 years of ridicule and rejection she has suffered in her village.  She was born with a club foot, in a remote village in Honduras where that was looked upon as a curse from God.   Because of her birth defect, she has been told all of her life that she is "ugly".  How cruel people can be, but children can be the worst tormentors of all.  As we were looking through photos of some of the people in her village, she pointed out a number of children her age that had been very mean to her as she was growing up because of her deformity.  I had to fight back tears of anger mixed with sadness as I imagined how difficult that must have been for her.  However, her pain and sorrow has moved the creator of the Universe to intervene and rescue her not only from her physical defect but the deeper emotional wounds that she has suffered as well. 

Its hard to imagine a little girl as pretty as this....thinking that she is ugly!  Maely's Miracle continues to unfold as we see the very fingerprint of GOD evident in the physical and emotional healing process that she is undergoing.  Please be lifting her up in your prayers and also feel free to share her story with others.  I believe God will use Maely's story to reach the hearts of many and who knows how many may end up entering the kingdom of heaven because of it.




Here "the girls" are baking cookies.  Pat on the left, Maely in the middle, my mom on the right......and Gracie on the far right.  Gracie was in charge of cleanup!

Maely is learning to ride a bike for the first time so Pat thought she would start her off on a three wheeled version.....which just happened to offer her a chance to ride while she makes Maely peddle!

Soon after Maely arrived at our house, she began inspecting the presents, shaking them, weighing them and trying to guess what they were.  For a little girl who has never experienced Christmas...she sure catches on fast!  Starting on the 20th, we let her open up one present a night.  Interestingly enough, there have been a couple of nights she has chosen not to open a present...still scratching my head on that one!

Tomorrow is Christmas day so I had better get this posted and get to bed.  May the Lord of all creation speak to your heart this Christmas season with a personal message of HIS love and may your heart be filled with the peace that passes all understanding.