Do you see her?

The young refugee woman with the baby?

She is fleeing violence. She is heartbroken. Crying. Nothing has prepared her for what lies ahead.

Genesis chapter 21 reminds us God hears the voice of the boy Ishmael crying, and sees his other mother Hagar weeping, and says 'get up'. God opens her eyes and she sees life-giving provisions. God was with them.

Question to ponder: if our God is a seeing God and we are to be seeing people, what are we to do about what we see in the world?

Prayer focus: today, may we walk with eyes wide open, asking 'what is wrong?'. Saying, 'do not be afraid, for God has heard the voice of weeping.

Exercise: If she were moving into your neighborhood, in what way might you welcome her? Write a note of welcome to new neighbors from another culture.

For faith based resources on responding to the Syrian Refugee crisis globally visit Medical Teams International. To learn more about welcoming refugees in the US visit World Relief.