Hi! My name is Amarah. Kids are important to me, and they’re important to Jesus, too.

In Matthew 18:10 (KJV), Jesus said, “Take heed that ye despise not (hurt or be mean to) one of these little ones; for I say unto you, that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.”

“Kids like me” are kids whose parents are drug addicts, and alcoholics; kids who have suffered, or who are suffering, abuse and neglect on multiple levels; and kids who are victims of bullying.

Hey kids like me! Today is amazing because it’s the 1st year anniversary of Amarah’s Corner “Kids Like Me” in The Valley Courier. Wow. It wasn’t that long ago when my whole world was darkness with no light at all except the hope I had that my grandma would find me and my baby sister Ava and take us home with her. The darkness was my beautiful mother’s addiction. I cried myself to sleep, hungry, holding Ava, praying and dreaming the thin air mattress we slept on would turn into a magic carpet, fly us out the window and take us home to grandma. That didn’t happen. But I knew grandma was praying and she taught me and Ava to pray. As bad as everything was I still believed God would hear our prayers. And I kept praying and believing (like Jesus says in Mark 11:24) that we would get to go home to grandma.

Friday, October 19, 2012, our mother was arrested because of drug addiction. When she didn’t pick-up Ava from the babysitter, and I was the last one at The Boys and Girls Club, a kind woman from social services picked us up and took us to her office. She told us what happened and said she would find a safe place for us to stay, and she did.

Meanwhile, my grandma received a call that night about what happened. Ava and I didn’t know it but grandma arrived in Alamosa, Sunday, October 21st. I told the woman at social services about my grandma and asked if I could talk to her, or maybe see her but she said, “Your grandma lives a long way from Alamosa.” My heart hit the ground. But the next day the woman took me and Ava to McDonalds. She was talking on the phone and I thought I heard a familiar voice but I thought, no, that couldn’t be. But, I wondered why we didn’t go inside McDonalds.

Then, I turned and looked out the window. Grandma! I couldn’t believe it. Ava and I saw her and screamed! We got out of the car as fast as we could and ran to her. Ava and I jumped on her! It was like Heaven. I was never so happy in my whole life. Grandma went to court that week and we finally got to live with grandma. See? Prayers are answered!

Almost five-years later, I haven’t seen or heard from my mother or my father (Remember, kids like me, David said, “Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close” Psalm 27:10, NLT). Ava’s father took Ava away and I miss her. I pray for Ava and for my mother every day because I love them and miss them. Even Mr. Rogers (Mr. Rogers Neighborhood) said, “You’ll never stop missing the people you love.” And that’s how “kids like me” got started.

Thank You Jesus, Ruth Heide, Dr. Troy, Erwin Young, Mrs. Martinez, Ruth Horn, Jerry Savelle, Creflo Dollar Ministries, Jerry Moe, Tom Drennon, Miss Corliss, Amanda, Dr. Bresnitz, Pastor Patrick, and everyone who has contacted me and contributed to my column and helped me help kids like me! God Bless You! And, thank you for reading my column. Please send questions or comments to me in care of the Courier, [email protected] or write to me at Amarah’s Childrens Foundation “Kids Like Me” P.O. Box 354, Alamosa, CO 81101, or call (719) 937-1033, leave a message, and someone will return your call. If you know a kid like me, or parent who is an addict, or alcoholic, please tell him or her about “Amarah’s Corner, Kids Like Me” in the Valley Courier newspaper and tell them to contact me, or you can contact me on their behalf. And, if you know a kid like me, or parent, who does not have a Bible, but would like to have one, please, contact me and I will make sure he or she gets a Bible of their very own, “…and all the earth may know there is a God…” (1 Samuel 17:46, KJV).

My goal is to help kids like me, and I want to help their parents, too. Until next time, remember, Jesus Loves You, and JESUS IS LORD!