The old road full of puddles and potholes crossed the town to the old building standing in the big yard. This was the orphanage, the place where children lived when they did not have a dad or mom to take care of them. At the back of the yard, dirty water from the farmer’s field ran into the creek where the children played as they swatted the mosquitoes.
Mr. Max pushed the old door open and went inside with his interpreter. As he looked around he asked, “Why are all the children outside now except this little girl?”
“Oh, little Katya has no shoes. She can’t go outside,” the lady in charge said.
Mr. Max reached into his bag. “Last week before I came to Siberia, my wife picked up a pair of little shoes for ten cents at the second-hand store. I brought them today. In fact, they are the only ones I have here.”
Amazingly, the shoes fit the little girl perfectly! Do you think this was just by chance, or did God send those shoes to a little girl who He was watching?
Katya looked up through lonely eyes. In her cheerless surroundings, there was something about her that was appealing.
The visitors had brought watermelons and other food for the children and then called them all inside and read a Bible story to them. They told about God loving each child there and how He knew every child’s name and even little Katya’s shoe size. They explained how the Lord Jesus came from heaven to die and take the punishment for our sins, so God could bring each person into His family if they would believe on Him. The Bible says, “As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name” (John 1:1212But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: (John 1:12)).
The next year Mr. Max returned to visit the same village near the Ural Mountains in Siberia. He was anxious to see little Katya again. But she wasn’t there! Had she died? Was she sick? Was she hiding?
The lady who was in charge of the orphanage explained: “Some men came here and wanted to adopt some of the children. We knew they might harm them, so we hid them at the hospital.”
Mr. Max found the hospital, and the nurses gathered the children together. They listened to a Bible story, a message about God’s love and how He wants to wash us clean from sin and bring us into His family. He gave a little doll to Katya, the first doll of her own, and then left to visit other towns.
In Canada, Mr. Max again told about visiting Siberia and about a little girl in an orphanage who was in danger. He explained that she needed a mommy and daddy to love and protect her. He was talking about Katya.
One day he got a phone call from Texas, which was very far away. A family had heard about Katya and wanted to adopt her. But there was a problem—they were not able to pay the price to bring her to their home, so it didn’t work out. I am so glad that the Lord Jesus was willing and able to come from heaven and to pay the price that was required that I might be brought into the family of God. It cost Him His life!
Then one day a letter came to Mr. Max from Michigan. A family there was willing to go to Siberia to see Katya and to pay the price to adopt her. Mr. Max sent photos and details of the sad little girl. After many months had passed, he wondered what had happened. Then one day he went to his mailbox, and there was a letter and a photo of a smiling, happy little girl. Katya’s whole life and future had changed!
Her new parents wrote, “Katya already can speak English, and she does not want to speak any Russian language now. She loves it here, loves playing games and playing in the snow. Her future is bright.”
When this sad, hopeless little girl came into her new family, everything changed. And this is what God’s salvation does for us. Everything in our lives takes on a whole new meaning as we grow in the love of our Lord Jesus and get to know Him better.
When we come into God’s family, our future is truly bright. We know we will be in heaven for sure ... what a bright future! To have our sins washed away and to be brought into God’s family is a blessing greater than words can tell, and it can be yours today!
ML-04/18/2010