As I go through shops or sit outside, I am reminded that school is getting ready to start. Sales on school items, buses practicing their routes, and a frenzy pretty much everywhere you go. Unless of course, you are behind the bus. Then there is no frenzy and you won’t be going much of anywhere very fast! 🙂
As a child, I loved this time of year. I loved shopping for school supplies. I looked forward to my extra-curricular activities. I lived in KY, so I most definitely looked forward to Autumn. It came right after school started. My body still anticipates the crisp air of a KY autumn, even though I’ve lived in MS, AZ, and TX for the past few years (places with no crisp air!).
But my thoughts go to the girls who were kidnapped in Nigeria (as well as the other children that have not received the same media attention). They won’t be attending school. They are still in the hands of terrorists. They won’t be getting lessons in arithmetic, history, music, or other studies. They are receiving very hard lessons in forced religious conversions, brain washing, sexual exploitation, fear, violence, and more that we don’t even know about.
It’s been over four months. The media has moved on. But the parents, relatives, and friends of those girls haven’t moved on. Nor should they.
Their lives have also changed. They aren’t preparing their children for school. They are preparing for protests. They are juggling work obligations with government stipulations. They live every day knowing that their children are living a nightmare and are virtually powerless to stop it. What a nightmare for them.
As I watch my toddler play, I can’t even imagine what these families are going through. The fathers, who went looking for their kids but could not retrieve them and now stand powerless to make their family whole. The mothers, who are trying to keep their family together, knowing that it may never be whole again. And the siblings, who don’t remember what a “normal” life is, if they ever did know.
Boko Haram has taken siege of Nigeria. More accurately, it has proclaimed war against Christians. In the process, it is taking over Nigeria.
But the world has moved on. The media is covering all sorts of other things. ISIS, the riots in Missouri, China…
Although these are all important, and should be reported on, we cannot forget Nigeria. We should not move Nigeria off the list in order to add on to the list. No. We should make our list longer. Our prayers should increase. Our fervency should increase.
Take time today to pray for Nigeria and what is going on there. Share their plight with others on your social media. Donate to organizations that are helping. Write a note of encouragement (see persecuted info page). Don’t let the world forget.
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