Not Just An Orphan

Last week, I saw a powerful documentary about a Korean pastor, Pastor Lee Jong-rak who has provided refuge for those who have been deemed unwanted or rejected. He has provided a safer place, a 'drop-box,' where unwanted babies can be placed; instead of being abandoned in the cold abrasive elements of the outdoors, left to die. Beyond providing safe temporary refuge, Pastor Lee has adopted a number of these little ones into his own family.

Many of these little babies are babies of unwed mothers, babies of teenage mothers, babies bearing disabilities of various kinds.

Lover of the Unloved

The story of Pastor Lee's heart, mercy, and being known as a "lover of the unloved" goes much deeper and began much earlier, with the family's second child, a son: Eun-man. Eun-man was born in June 1987, with a massive cyst on his cheek and severely debilitating cerebral palsy that would make his limbs sticking out at strange angles and confine him to a life laying on his back. For the first 14 years of Eun-man's life, the family of four, for all intents and purposes, lived in the hospital.

Yet, Pastor Lee continued a life living in the trenches, accepting, ministering, and loving the 'unacceptable' and the 'unloveable,' not just those of blood relations. He tends everyday needs, showers them with affection, and loves them.


Unacceptable, Unwanted, A Sense of Not Belonging

Those babies were left, abandoned, because the timing was not right, the biological mother and father were not wed, or the baby bore some sort of difficult or debilitating disability. Some might have struggles resulting from the mentioned issues.

Though not everyone has experienced such things, many can identify with feeling unacceptable, unwanted, a sense of not belonging,

Following the showing of the documentary itself was a discussion/interview with various individuals, including the Director/writer, Brian Ivie, who admitted, if memory serves me correctly, though he bore no visible disabilities, he felt he had disabilities on the inside.

Perhaps we are plagued by not getting into a sufficiently prestigious school, failing to perform on a par with someone's standards, not looking perfect, not getting promoted within a particular time frame, not making enough money, not having the right perspective on what matters, not getting approval from loved ones, the list goes on.

The feelings are real and can be very painful.

Feelings of being unacceptable and unwanted can be so strong that they lead to dire consequences: cutting, drinking, doing drugs, other self-destructive behavior, or committing suicide.

Not just an orphan

What if there is a message of hope here for us all?

Those feelings of inadequacy are very real and should not be ignored.

What if, in spite of those feelings, there is not only acceptance but a very real embrace of who we are, as we are (not as we should be, could be, or would be)?

Pastor Lee shared in the documentary, "The Drop Box," that he is sharing God's love.

I daresay he is not the only one who is trying to share God's love in a very real, tangible way. However, what he shares and imparts is life-changing.

Food for thought: what if each one of us is not only accepted but embraced for who we are?

We are not just sitting or standing before empty chairs and empty tables, with no one to care and no one to listen.