If there was a Christmas to talk about, this might be the one I would put in a book. This was my first Christmas away from Randy. My first Christmas away from family and yet I still feel with 100% certainty that I am exactly where I am supposed to be. Today, after a pretty long day of Christmas festivities, I was exhausted. After chasing kids around, and running around preparing things, barefoot all day my feet were sore and dirty. This isn’t unusual because I rarely wear shoes anymore but I was just sitting there on the steps of our kitchen, looking at my dirty feet and thought, I would do it all over again 400 times if I could. I was loving the people around me and giving to them and, for the first time, I didn’t expect anything for myself on Christmas. I live a freaking blessed life. I say that so much now a days, and I mean it every time.
This day started with a present filled morning. We were sitting waiting for my buddies names to be called and my buddy, Gift, says she just wants to hang out today. No presents needed. She just wanted to be around me and be loved. I tell you what, that girl’s heart is going to do huge things for this world. My other buddy, Naomi, has been a little harder to get to know. She is sassy and funny and does what she wants and only wants to do what she wants to do. But today, when she didn’t know I was looking, she stared at the picture of us she got and smiled a real genuine smile that I have seen only a couple of times. And she smiled for a while. I am still smiling at 11:30 p.m. about 13 hours later.
With my squad, we had a Christmas breakfast a little fancier than my traditional Waffle House Christmas breakfast. Cinnamon sugar pancakes with butter icing syrup, eggs, and FREAKING BACON. We put on a field day for the kids here a lot like the one we did at the one in the Philippines and it went really well. The kids loved it! We made cupcakes with the kids. Ate a Christmas dinner with FREAKING GRAVY. So good. Then we had a little Christmas service and worship around a bonfire, on top of a mountain. Seriously this life I live. I sometimes wonder if it is real because it is so good.
However, when asked by a squad mate what the best part of my day was I was actually sucked into a real life changing moment that rocked me a bit. Let me tell you of sweet David. Oh, sweet David. I wish words could adequately describe him, but they can’t. He is a 7 year old way beyond his years. Literally the smartest kid I know. He actually corrected my English the other day. He is trilingual. He can’t be fooled about anything. But he is one of the most joy filled people I have met. He is kind and friendly. He gives you attention and he is even willing to pursue you if you aren’t looking his way because he doesn’t take no for an answer. He is funny, witty, and charismatic. He is life, and joy, and peace. He is Jesus. Every single day I see Jesus in that boy and he amazes me a little more than the day before. Something about David though is his fate is a little bleak. David is one of the many Swazi’s that are impacted by HIV. Today I ran down to our houses to grab my phone to take pictures and on my way back David asked me to wait for him while he put the dog up. So I did as I was asked and as soon as he walked out he stopped by my side and stuck his hand up, meaning it was time to grab his hand and walk with him. I just looked at his face while it lit up with his smile and said he was so excited I was there for Christmas.
It seems small but in that moment this little boy impacted my world a little more than most of the people I have ever talked to. I pray really hard, bold prayers that this disease be taken from him and that he never has to suffer the crappy reality that this disease carries with it. However, even if that doesn’t happen, I pray he keeps his heart. I pray that he knows that death is indeed broken and meaningless. That, on this day 2014 years ago, Jesus was actually born to ensure that those chains could never bind him. I pray that he always keeps the genuine happiness and beautiful life that overflows into everyone around him.
More so, I pray you and I live like David: Never bound by the chains of this life’s circumstances. I hope we look at the day and say I am so excited for this day and all it has in store for us. I want us to be so expectant of the blessing God is going to throw our way that the darkness of this life can’t even be seen on our faces. My prayer for you and I is that we live a life expectant and ready to find the greatness to come. We will not wallow in our circumstances or in our losses but truly experience all the joy that is waiting for us to choose into. Because God is throwing out blessings without cease and without price. It is free for the taking. Why the hell not run around barefoot till your feet are stained orange and brown, till they hurt and you walk funny, searching for the happiness and life that is out there? Why the hell not?
