My hands were red, pulsating, and sore. Why did I just do that? I have a heart for human trafficking, not children’s ministry. I cannot be enjoying this as much as I am. But they were all smiling and laughing, so it must be worth it.. Right?
I had just finished going up and down the rows of children, giving them all high-fives. We are talking high-fives, low-fives, high-tens, double fist pounds, and everything in between. Their eyes lit up when it was their turn and I asked for a high-five. Though English is taught to the children who are blessed enough to go to school, most of these children tend to be relatively shy also. However, a high-five was the perfect ice-breaker between us. It was simple and able to bridge the gap between our two worlds.
My world of hash-tags and an endless supply of running hot water collided with their world of two meals a day and putting God into every moment. Such different worlds, but with one commonality: love. You could see it in their faces as they listened to the stories told by the people leading the retreat. You could feel it in their energy as they attentively listened to God’s miracles. You could hear it in their voices as they sang 10,000 Reasons with their whole being. The combination of these all hit you deep in your heart. They gave you the realization that these children put God first every day, which something we as adults still forget to do regularly in America.
We put God last in many cases. We go to doctors, medicines, and educated persons before we turn to God. We show our Christianity on Sundays for an hour or two, and sometimes on bible study nights. We have let the world and our busy lives get in front of our relationship. Be Still. This year will be a year of learning to be still and to listen. It will be a year of fostering relationships and finding who I truly am without all of our first world distractions. It will be a journey of change.
This is meant to be an everyday, every moment type of journey. It is meant to be seen by actions, not heard by words. It is a 24/7 type of thing. Thus I challenge you to walk as they do. I challenge you to put God first in everything you do, to seek him in all matters, and to follow your path wherever it leads. Though it may become daunting at times, we do not serve a God of fear, but a God of freedom. So, let us live in freedom from technology, social media, and the first world “luxuries” that distract us, and instead choose to actually live. Let us follow the example these 2,200 children have given: to have true faith and to walk in it everyday. Let us find who we really are again.
PS. We have VERY limited Internet this month. I have many more blogs and photos I will upload once we get Internet hopefully on February 2nd!
