In the five plus years of my tenure as the President of Amarillo Children’s Home I have literally observed miracles. I have seen kids pulled from tragic places to be reborn both spiritually and personally. I have witnessed the restoration of identity and experienced the rewriting of pain with new chapters of celebration and revival. I have watched kids realize their value and become leaders impacting and blessing others around them. I have spent time on the mountaintop of splendor and been made speechless watching lives dramatically changed.

That being said, one of my favorite experiences remains the wave of a child. A simple, “Hey Darrin” with a smile and a wave as they climb into the house van, as they play on the basketball court, or as I get into my car at the end of the day to leave campus. It may seem small or odd but it pierces me each time. It is a daily reminder that restoration is taking place. That wave is busting through the protective barrier that surrounds our kids when they arrive to ACH. Adults are not to be trusted…. Adults have often inflicted the pain received in their lives. That smile and wave and “Hello Mr. Darrin” is a powerful jab in the face of their past. For me it means we are winning. There is a clear enemy we fight, that enemy is a child growing up not grasping that they were created by God in His image to be powerful and confident of their place in the world. The initiation of a wave and a hello is a powerful announcement that they are overcoming…that restoration is happening.

I wave back. It isn’t just a wave however. It is an acknowledgement of the hard work they are doing to write a new story in their life. That 7-year-old girl will soon become a 47-year- old woman. The 10-year-old boy will grow up to be a 60-year-old grandfather. Restored adults are people of impact and influence. I wave back because I am thankful that I get to celebrate and be a part of a process that shapes the future. The wave isn’t a momentary interchange it is an eternal proclamation that our past is our past and our future has hope. Thank you for being the fuel of this hope for 94 years as Amarillo Children’s Home continues to create restored adults in our community.

Thanks for loving kids,

Darrin Murphy, ACH President