“JUST” is JUST Not Acceptable

JUST a few more tears

JUST another broken heart

JUST the cry of a woman being abused

“JUST a man beating his wife” – a child said about the screams heard Saturday morning

JUST the rejection of two children…

It is said that God does not give us more than we can handle. And Saturday I found that to be true. I felt the need to stay at home that morning while the rest of my team went to Guachupita to assist with building an outhouse. I needed to read scripture, pray, and really prepare to head back out with them in the afternoon to work with the children. With my heart being extremely sensitive these days, it is completely draining for me to head to the slums two times a day. So I stayed back that morning.  

Upon their return I learned that it was once again a challenging day. My team shared with me how the screaming of a woman was heard over and over again as she was getting beat by her husband. The sound of rocks being thrown at her, echoed throughout the slums. As several of my team members gathered the children to take them somewhere where they couldn’t hear the loud cries of violence, one of the children simply stated, “It is JUST a man beating his wife.” It rolled off her tongue as if it were business as usual. I cried with my team. And we cried for the hearts which we have grown to love so quickly. We talked about our role in this situation, what God is calling us to do, about our anger, confusion, and sadness. We prayed for the family. We prayed for the community. We prayed for guidance and asked God to bring conviction and clarity to the situation. We learned about grace.

We returned in the afternoon, and my heart continued to break. While interacting with the community, two children came to play with us. We entertained each other with hand claps and tickling. But after a few minutes, a woman told them to leave. I didn’t know what was going on. But the two children walked off hand in hand, turning around every now and then to watch the other kids playing. They stood there watching for a minute or two before slowly and sadly walking away. The sense of rejection and abandonment filled my heart and I cried for them. I found out that they were the children of the man who abuses his wife. I prayed over and over again that they would feel God’s acceptance and love for them instead of the world’s rejection of them. Aren’t we called to love? 

I understand the fear that resonates throughout this community. But God cares as much for these precious hearts that were turned away, as HE does for yours and mine.

This was not simply JUST another day, but a day of brokenness.

There were not simply JUST a few tears, but a day spent crying out to God on behalf of HIS children.

This was not simply JUST another broken heart, but my heart broke, my teammates’ hearts broke, the children’s hearts broke, and God’s heart broke.

This was not simply JUST the cry of a woman getting abused by her husband, but the scream of a daughter of God being defiled, losing hope, and persecuted in bondage.

This was not simply JUST a man beating his wife, but an act of violence, hatred, and control that exists more than we realize, yet it is an act that should never happen.

This was not simply JUST the rejection of two children, but the rejection of two precious hearts looking for love…the kind of love that does not injure, breakdown, and destroy, but uplifts, encourages, and appreciates.