Our five-year-old decided to take one and a half hours to eat half a cup of corn tonight! This process was of course accompanied by a long series of excuses, whining, a trip to her room and an extensive discussion with her dad. My frustration was evident - it was a simple cup of corn....sweet corn no less! Just eat it! But - oh the drama. The mountain made over a molehill. The tears wasted.

Later it hit me - how often do I get fixated on my own cup of corn? The molehills of life.  So often I focus on the insignificant.

Each night little boys and girls go to bed - on dirt floors, hungry, cold, dirty, sick, alone or among many , scared, confused, lost - orphaned. I go to bed - on a comfortable mattress, have an overwhelming array of food choices, a thermostat to ensure I always can maintain the perfect temperature (heaven forbid I'm uncomfortable), a warm shower, access to health care (even if it is just Walgreens), and a loving family.

Thus our adoption journey begins with the orphan - in 2008, UNICEF estimated there were 132 million orphans - a child who has lost one or both parents. Of the 132 million, 13 million were without both parents. (Perspective - Missouri's population is around 6 million.)

Thirteen million go to bed each night....without someone to call mommy or daddy in less than desireable conditions....and I complain about my cup of corn.