Thoughts on the Olympics

Yes, I know this is late for me to be making an entry. I am usually snoozing by now, but I needed to do this now while it was fresh on my mind.

I am up late because I was watching the Olympics, I love them especially the summer games. I was watching the Women's Gymnastics Team Finals. Heated competition between China and the USA. When I see the Chinese gymnasts perform of course I think of our Sha Sha, but I was kind of sad watching these girls tonight. The announcer said that the girls are sought out at very early ages usually around 3, taken from their families and training begins. They are allowed to see their families once a year. YES!!!! I know it is hard to believe this still happens but China is a communist country. I think it is easy for people to watch the spectacular Opening Ceremonies and forget that fact. Before the Olympic Village was there, people lived there and were forced to move. I also read an AP story today that said the cute little girl singing in the opening ceremonies was lip syncing. A last minute change was made to use the prettier girl, apparently the singer was not perfect enough to be seen just to be heard. Perfection, that is what China strives for. I think about these gymnasts and the weight they must have felt today, the weight of an entire country that has invested so much in them. I am happy that they won the Gold, sad for the USA, but happy that the sacrifices made by the girls from China was worth it in the end. I love the country of China and its people but it is a fact that they are an oppressed people. Oppressed by a communist government that demands no less than perfection. And so that brings me back to Sha Sha. There is a very real possibility that she was abandoned because of her birth defect. I pray that it was because her parents could not afford to pay for the surgeries she would need and not because she was not "perfect." Because she is perfect, she is fearfully and wonderfully made. Made in the image of God and made just as he intended her to be and I am so thankful that He chose me to be her mommy. And here with us in America, she is free to choose her ambitions. She can be gymnast or a pianist or a teacher or whatever she feels called to be. She has that freedom and I am so thankful for that.

So all this to say, please pray for China. Pray for the people of China who are forced to make hard decisions everyday. Pray for the leaders of China that they will realize, perfection is not something we can attain. Pray that their hearts will be softened that they will accept all that Jesus has to offer them. That really is the only way China is going to change isn't it, through the love of our Lord and Savior.