Her Eyes

It was her eyes.

I saw her picture online, and something stirred deep within my soul. Those beautiful, almond eyes took me back four years and reminded me of the eyes of another little girl who captured my heart.

Do you see the resemblance?

Her name was Tabitha, her bio said. I read on. “Tabitha was diagnosed with heart disease (VSD, PDA, PAH).” And that’s when my heart sank.

You see, the little girl Tabitha reminded me of was Liu Yi, who also had a serious heart condition. She had been diagnosed with congenital heart disease-- PDA, PFO, enlarged heart and narrow pulmonary arteries, to be exact. And four years ago, I handed Liu Yi to a nurse at a hospital in China, not knowing that would be the last time I would feel the weight of her in my arms.

“God, please….” Was all I could manage to pray. I already assumed the worst. Then I got an email.

“It’s kind of a miracle…”, It said, “Tabitha no longer has PDA or PAH. We think she was healed on the way here.” Two of Tabitha's three heart conditions had been healed.

Oh, how little faith I have. How quickly I forget the lessons God has taught me, the blessings He’s poured out, and the miracles He performs.

Because Liu Yi’s four months here on earth were a miracle. In those four months, her every smile, every coo, every cry were all the sweetest blessings. Liu Yi’s physical heart may have been weak, but during those four months, her emotional heart knew what it meant to love before she went to rest in the arms of her Father, healed. And that is a miracle.

And now, even when I can’t find the words to form the prayer deep in my soul, God answers. He has already begun the miracles in Tabitha’s precious life.

But Tabitha is still in need of a miracle. She still needs life-saving heart surgery. She needs you.

So her blue fingers can turn pink, A miracle.

So she can learn to roll, then crawl, then walk, without having to stop to catch her breath. A miracle.

So one day, she can be placed into the loving arms of her own forever family, no longer an orphan. A miracle.

That day four years ago, I let go of Liu Yi, and ultimately placed her in the arms of Jesus.

And today, I am placing Tabitha in your arms, and asking you to help fight for her miracle.