"Lord, give me your eyes. Let me see these children the way you do: whole & complete."
The simple prayer I whispered as I walked into daycare for the first time earlier this month
I am called to love.
To love without reservation.
To simply love.
On our first day at the daycare I felt awkward and nervous being around the children.
I couldn't speak their language.
I was unsure how to interact with them.
I was scared of upsetting them
.I viewed them as these fragile people that could only be handled at a distance.
I did not know how to love them correctly.
Then it hit me hard.
The Lord created each of them. The Lord died for each of them. The Lord loves each of them.
& Loving these children should not be any different than loving any other child.
So I began asking for God's heart.
& he began giving it to me.
As the days and weeks progressed, the less I sat comfortably on the sidelines observing and the more I became involved.
I began playing with the children, specifically with two boys, Slovcho and Blogorest.
I started talking with them even though they could not understand my English and I could not understand their Bulgarian. But I figured it was better than just standing around in silence for hours.
I spent time praying silently and out loud for these boys as well as their families.
I talked with the ladies who work at the daycare about each of the boys in an effort to get to know them better.
Each day it became easier and easier to jump into ministry.
Each day I became more and more excited.
Each day brought new lessons as I received more of God's heart.
Slovcho.
Eight years old.
He cannot talk.
But he is extremely vocal nonetheless.
He laughs. He yells. & makes frog/dinosaur noises.
He loves to hold your hand and walk around with you.
To explore.
He also enjoys climbing up and down stairs.
In June he will be a big brother!
Blogorest.
Nicknamed Blogo.
Five years old.
Three years ago he could not move himself or talk.
Today he is able to walk around in a special walker.
He is also a fast crawler.
& is quite chatty.
Both in Bulgarian and English!
"Give me five" is his famous phrase.
These boys are absolute gems.
Precious & Beloved in the Lord's eyes.
& I am thankful for the ways in which they helped change my heart and taught it how to love the way our God loves.
