Coloring crayons and dirty hands make for a full day of fun.
You never can guess…just what kind of mess -awaits you – pure mystery in store.
Laughing, dancing, jumping, screaming, spinning, bouncing, smiling, twirling…
Such is a day at the orphanage in Grand Goave with our favorite Haitian kiddos.
Have you ever wondered what God is thinking when He places you in a confined space, with limited resources and a world of unspoken and perhaps unrecognized responsibility? Spending the last month in Haiti has been eye-opening for me – spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically.
Being around these kids both challenges and grows me every day. The sound of their laughter is sweet to my ears, and their persistence to hug, play, and sit with me is overwhelming at times. I realized very quickly that I have nothing of material value to offer these kids (except for my sunglasses which went missing day #1), yet the more I tap into what God is going in these kiddos, the more I realize there’s so much more to consider.
Every time I hold a dirty hand full of coloring crayons or a child who simply wants to sit in my lap – I’m looking at a son/daughter of God who has the potential to be a world changer. I’m looking at the little ones who will rise up and see the nation of Haiti (its structure, its people, its way of life) improve. To some of these kids I am a sister – to others maybe a momma figure – and to others still, just a random, strange, white (blanc) lady who comes to visit them everyday.
I’ve begun to dare and dream that my time in these 11 nations – and this period of being an influence over the last 3 weeks with these kids will not be forgotten – that God truly will grow them into strong men and women of integrity, with humble + hungry hearts for the things of God – who love the Lord in all aspects of their life – a generation of world changers.
God’s been teaching me lately about “asking and receiving”.
Monday morning I had a sudden urge to color…and a silly thought of desiring crayons wandered through my mind. Unfortunately, crayons aren’t the easiest thing to come by in Haiti, so the thought passed just as quickly as it came.
Then 10 o’ clock came.
One of the girls at the orphanage approached me – “you, you!” she called excitedly. Clad with a bicycle safety coloring book and brand new crayons, she invited me to color with her. All I could do was laugh and smile at the thought that God knew I wanted to color…which created a ripple effect of coloring for the rest of the day.
Kids and crayons were scattered all over the ground – with dirty hands we colored the concrete, notebook paper, and even each other – but the smiles and delight I saw in their faces made me truly thankful for a God who pays attention to even the little things.
“Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart…commit your way to the Lord, trust in Him, and He will do this – He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, and the justice of your cause like the noonday sun…be still in the presence of the Lord and wait patiently for Him to act –”
Psalm 37:4-7
