This post is part of my lenten series: 40 prayers for
Russia's orphans. Won't you join us in lifting up some of the most
vulnerable children in our world today?
Day 30
This thought will probably diminish with time, but often when I am kissing Arie's cheeks or ticking his belly after bath or massaging baby lotion into his skin while he giggles, I wonder did anyone do this for you before? Did anyone show him a mother's touch?
When he gets a "boo boo" and comes to me to kiss it, he will show me that he wants me to blow on it. I'm sure this is because his nannies didn't kiss his "boo boos." They probably blew on the "injured" site to avoid all the germs they would be exposed to, especially in winter, but still it makes me sad to know he didn't have his boo boos kissed.
Today's prayer is simply for touch. That the waiting children in Russia would know what it feels like to have their hair stroked before bed. That they would have someone's chest to lean on; someone's heartbeat to hear. That they would be kissed and cuddled with the kind of touch all children need to thrive.
*
Dear God,
In your perfect design, you gave us bodies. Wonderful, glorious bodies that love to be touched. What children need from their caregivers is touch- lots and lots of touch. Today we pray that you would work in the hearts of all the nannies and caregivers who work with Russia's orphans. Make them warm and compassionate. As much as possible, motivate them to touch the children. Move them to pick up babies and hold them close. Cup their hands around the face of a toddler as they whisper words of praise. Put their arms around school age children as they find their places at school and in the world.
We pray that you would provide a way for baby homes and children's homes all over Russia to hire adequate numbers of caregivers so that the littlest orphans don't have to pine away in their cribs. Bring them someone to hold them close.
Please provide warm, loving, and nurturing touch to each and every one of Russia's orphans.
In Jesus' name we present our requests to you,
Amen.
Day 30
This thought will probably diminish with time, but often when I am kissing Arie's cheeks or ticking his belly after bath or massaging baby lotion into his skin while he giggles, I wonder did anyone do this for you before? Did anyone show him a mother's touch?
When he gets a "boo boo" and comes to me to kiss it, he will show me that he wants me to blow on it. I'm sure this is because his nannies didn't kiss his "boo boos." They probably blew on the "injured" site to avoid all the germs they would be exposed to, especially in winter, but still it makes me sad to know he didn't have his boo boos kissed.
Today's prayer is simply for touch. That the waiting children in Russia would know what it feels like to have their hair stroked before bed. That they would have someone's chest to lean on; someone's heartbeat to hear. That they would be kissed and cuddled with the kind of touch all children need to thrive.
*
Dear God,
In your perfect design, you gave us bodies. Wonderful, glorious bodies that love to be touched. What children need from their caregivers is touch- lots and lots of touch. Today we pray that you would work in the hearts of all the nannies and caregivers who work with Russia's orphans. Make them warm and compassionate. As much as possible, motivate them to touch the children. Move them to pick up babies and hold them close. Cup their hands around the face of a toddler as they whisper words of praise. Put their arms around school age children as they find their places at school and in the world.
We pray that you would provide a way for baby homes and children's homes all over Russia to hire adequate numbers of caregivers so that the littlest orphans don't have to pine away in their cribs. Bring them someone to hold them close.
Please provide warm, loving, and nurturing touch to each and every one of Russia's orphans.
In Jesus' name we present our requests to you,
Amen.
About the blowing on boo boos: I'm from Germany and we do that too. You blow on it and there is even a silly little four-line song that you can sing about how things will feel better soon, but we also don't kiss a sore spot. So it might not have been a "nanny thing" but rather a cultural thing (obviously German and Russian culture are not terribly alike, but still...).
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