3 Days and counting until Angel Tree 2014!

Only a few more days until Angel Tree officially starts and dozens upon dozens of children will have a chorus of warriors joining together to help raise their grant goal.

The anticipation is exciting as the last few children have warriors stand up and say, I choose this one.

As of last count 17 (now 9, whohoo for updates) children still have no warrior to cheer, to write, to pray, to plead that this one matters.

In a lot of ways Angel Tree is a combination of paradoxes. It's a fundraiser during the holidays when many budgets are stretched either through tight budgets or through the pursuit of bigger and better.

The goal of 1000 dollars raised for each child on the tree seems an extravagant goal and yet in the face of international adoption which can run 30 - 40 thousand dollars, 1000 seems a small though blessed drop in the bucket.

We plead and cheer and pray for these children for 2 months and perhaps even throughout the year and yet too many children are repeat visitors on the Angel tree still waiting for a family ready to take a risk on the unknown of bringing a broken child into a differently broken family, cause, let's face it, we're all broken in our own different ways.

and yet . . .

Every year volunteers step forward in faith, watching as God moves in mysterious and magnificent ways bringing hope that things can change. Sometimes so slowly it's painful and other times so quickly your head could spin numbers climb and grants are strengthened.

Sometimes, if you're really lucky you'll even see one or two faces that you've come to know by an old picture and a name gifted by others to protect a child's identity, have someone step forward and take their own leap of faith and begin the process to bring their child home.

I dare you, today, right now, take a look at the children on Angel Tree. See the faces, see the children, read the stories and allow your hearts to be opened.

Then, if you dare, go here see the difference a grant can make to a family and a family can make to a child.

Angel Tree starts in 3 days!