Global Night commuters
Last night we followed our hearts and took a long walk.
We rolled our blankets and packed extra socks and took off hiking through our city streets to spend the night with over 1,000 other people (mostly college types because, lets be honest... who else really participates in protests like this?).
We walked the long way into downtown to identify with the thousands of children in Uganda who have to do exactly this every night... but not with backpacks filled with pillows and snacks and stuffed pigs and tigers... and not because they choose to... but because there is a very real chance that if they stay home, they will be kidnapped while they sleep in their beds. 
They will be beaten, mentally and physically tortured, sometimes killed or forced to kill and then taken to training camps where they are stripped of themselves and trained as soldiers for the army that stole their lives. So instead, they all take off walking from their homes as it nears bedtime. Hundreds of kids make their way to a safe house, like a school or church and sleep through the night curled up together on the floors while adults keep watch for rebel army soldiers outside.
They will be beaten, mentally and physically tortured, sometimes killed or forced to kill and then taken to training camps where they are stripped of themselves and trained as soldiers for the army that stole their lives. So instead, they all take off walking from their homes as it nears bedtime. Hundreds of kids make their way to a safe house, like a school or church and sleep through the night curled up together on the floors while adults keep watch for rebel army soldiers outside. These are boys Harrison's age. Maybe their hearts are just as tender.
Girls just a year or two older than Madyline, raped to bare the next
generation of soldiers.Little ones like Avery who don't have a choice. Who live in fear, in hopelessness, in hate.
We walked the long way and slept in the park downtown to give our children hearts that identify with the troubles of this world... to use the time to pray in thanks to God for sparing our own children from these terrors... to show our city and our country that what is happening in Uganda isn't okay...
... and we care.
The sun went down and a group of people began strumming guitars and beating hand drums... we sat with them and soaked in the worship choruses. I love to sing out underneath the stars... summer camp throwback, I know... but I love it none-the-less.
Billy brought me hot chocolate.
Pretty soon, I wandered back over to our blankets and snuggled in deep with Avery. Billy, Mady and Harrison went to watch the movie "Invisible Children". I was asleep before they came back... lulled by the soft voices chatting in pockets all around the park, by the voices singing praise and the drums beating a steady pulse, by the wind blowing through the trees and the cars cruising by and the tiny raindrops sparkling on my face.
Did we make a difference in Uganda?
Well, I hope our government will be a step closer to listening after reading all the letters we, and the groups in 140 other cities around the country wrote. But I'm not sure the government is the best solution to this chaos.
I hope the people in our country will hear our voices and discover what is happening for themselves... and choose to enter the story.
I hope you will click on the link and navigate the website Invisible Children.com
2 comments:
Tracy, you and Billy are such an amazing gift to the people around you and to your children. You are guiding your children's hearts toward God's heart. Thanks for being great role models.
I saw the movie and...I cried. I read your blog and cried again. How can we complain about the price of gas when there are so many bigger things going on. We all need to be more proactive. Thanks for bringing it to our attention
Mom
Post a Comment